“To do good, work well, and be humble is the way of blessing.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
In America, the woman or man with the most toys is often the most admired and emulated. They possess the most “stuff.” But, you don’t have to be rich to possess “stuff”—frequently lots of stuff. Cars, phones, TV’s, watches, jewelry, clothes, tools, and even vacations are just a very few examples. It is so easy to consider ourselves as needy when the majority of us actually have all we need.
Oh yes, we have the genuine poor in America that have not the stuff they need to survive. These are the people for whom my heart writes this post.
I am writing now on a plane returning from rural Uganda where you find some of the poorest people in the world—no electricity, no running water, no toilets, dirt floors, ragged clothing, and most important no clean drinking water. The photo above is a picture of the common source of drinking water. They don’t require “stuff,” they need the essentials for survival.
What If?
What if we considered helping out the poor every now and again instead of using our resources on toys or “stuff.” What if we each were to refrain from one movie every couple of months in order to give just a bit to those that have no stuff? We could literally, change the world. Consider the homeless, the woman standing on the corner asking for a gift, the children with no books or pencils, and all the other needy people we come upon.
Instead of renting a movie what if we were to use that few dollars to find our place of service in the world—at home or across the seas? For instance many people in 3rd World countries live on as little as one American dollar per day. A well-off person can earn $100 each month.
The ancient teacher Lao Tzu implores his pupils to “do good, work well, and be humble.” Doing good strengthens our hearts, working well allows us to purchase stuff, and being humble inspires us to give some of it away.
It is Better to Give Than Receive
If you made it a practice to give to the needy instead of buying stuff I promise you would feel wealthy. The old saying is undeniably true: “It is better to give than to receive.”
What if those of us possessing a household full of stuff considered using a bit of those resources to serve a world in need? Then “stuff” would quickly become wealth.
What if YOU were the one to begin the gift of giving? What if you became wealthy by giving away some resources you use to buy toys and pleasures? I guarantee it would change your life and save the life of a brother or sister in the community of human beings. My trips to Africa have made me a new man. I have extraordinary purpose and gratification participating in providing water to those without.
Personally, I give to wellsoflife.org. They would use ANY size of gift to save the lives of rural Ugandans. As of today more than 350,000 people.
Finally, it’s not all about money. You are rich with time and talents to make a difference. So, let’s be difference makers and become wealthy in spirit!
Become a Giver
And Your Life Will Never Be the Same
Photo courtesy of Charlie
