All you have shall some day be given;
Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors.
Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors.
On a recent cover of Fortune Magazine there is a picture of Warren Buffett, one of the world’s wealthiest men, with the caption “Warren Buffet gives it away” He apparently gathered a group of billionaires and asked them all to pledge to give half of their wealth to charitable causes. He donated $37 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for charity.
We might say, well he has so much money that easy, however, when we understand the Law of Circulation we realize it has nothing to do with how much money we have but with this crucial principle; Money, time and talent needs to be given freely for it to return…it needs to be given in love and in gratitude not just with an expectation of increase This is a powerful spiritual principle and has changed lives when followed.
Go-Givers Get More
Most of us have been programmed to be "go-getters" in whatever we are doing. Competition runs rampant in our society. We are programmed to believe that getting a larger slice of the pie is better. Yet the first, fundamental law of life is about giving. Giving always precedes and predetermines the reception.
In the wonderful book, "Go-Givers" (Bob Burg & John Mann) we read about how a business can be transformed using this and other laws and principles that are immutable and really work. It is a great read for anyone in business who is ready to operate from a different perspective, one of cooperation and right thinking.
The 10 % Rule of Tithing
The word "tithe” itself means a tenth. Quite simply the tithe consisted of 10% of one’s income. It came from the biblical text of the Old Testament where Israelites were required to specifically support the priest and temple/synagogue with this amount of money.
This has been expanded and many now recognize that this also applies to your time and talent as well as your treasures (money). Often we are great at tithing our time and talent but when it comes to money, we may feel challenged, expeically when living on a very tight budget. However, this is when this immutable law works the best. When you give regardless of the sitation, and give with a grateful heart, you are saying you trust this law and trust in God/Spirit to provide.
If you decide to tithe, just start where you are now and give each time you receive. If 10%, is more than your budget can handle, come up with a percentage that works for you and give consistently. Keeping track of where your money goes is also a wonderful practice.
Be Consistent & Give with a Grateful Heart
It is really is freeing to give where you feel called to give. It is a powerful statement of faith and trust. However, when giving is sporadic or occasional, the reception of good is irregular and uncertain.
I was an inconsistent giver; I would give to my church but rarely would it be a percentage of what I earned. It was based on what I felt I could afford. Does this sound familiar? In many ways, that I now see clearly, I was saying I didn't’t trust the process and gave out of a lack mentality and somewhat holding back when I gave. Recently, I made a pledge to myself. I would begin to give freely, consistently and based on a percentage.
Since changing this I look forward to giving and give where I am spiritually feed. That is not always to a church. It might be an uplifting book I read or a charity that does important work and that touches me. I once got a wonderful gift from a colleagues who was appreciative of what I had shared; that in turn also inspired me to give to friends, colleagues and businesses that inspire and transform lives.
A True Story of a Grateful Whale
This wonderful, true story reported in the San Francisco Chronicle on Thursday, Dec 15, 2005, really portrays the true message of being in the flow of this law. I have posted it before, yet feel it is so powerful and worth a second read:
The fifty-foot whale was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her her tail, her torso and a line tugging in her mouth.
A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallone Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her - a very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.
They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around - she thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.
The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.
A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallone Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her - a very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.
They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around - she thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.
The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.
May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate going into this holiday season, to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you.
And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving....
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!