This week’s discussion is an important one. It is one of those foundational subjects that all really successful people know and completely understand and practice. They full well know that all things in our dynamic lives must be continually replenished or they simply will dry up or be used up, and all-too-soon disappear and cease to exist or be available for any more use. Consequently, it is the wise man or wise woman who keeps track of the time, the energy, and/or the resources that they use up or take from their support systems, organizations or relationships,… and then make absolute certain that they always put back into the system, organization, project, and/or the relationships at least the same amount that they have withdrawn! Preferably they would put back MORE than they took out.
No man can be or is a island all by himself. One cannot exist all on his own without any involvement with other people. Left all to himself, history confirms that, he will simply cease to exist and operate and eventually self destruct.
A physical truth of life is simply that you cannot continually take out of anything, particularly a relationship with another human being,… without ever giving back to it,…and expect that the relationship, organization, system, or project will continue living and growing to higher and greater levels. This situation can be compared to an old style bathtub with a rubber “stopper” placed in the plug-hole in the bottom of the tub,…if the plug cannot be found or it is not in place, the tub will hold no water, thereby rendering it totally useless for its intended and designed purpose i.e….no one gets to take a bath whether they need it or not! It makes no difference what-so-ever the quality of materials used for construction or the class and power of the manufacturer, or the fancy decorated room in which the tub is located. If there is no plug in it or it has not been properly placed, then there simply will be no baths being taken as no water can be held in the tub!….This scenario is a Fact of Life!
So, let’s just take a few moments right now to seriously and honestly examine those personal connections, involvements, organizations, and relationships from which you are continually drawing or have drawn from in the past. What have those things or people provided to you that has benefitted or blessed your life or that of your family or loved ones? What was it exactly that has been made available to you or provided to you for your own use that has enabled you to grow to a higher level of life? What sacrifices have the people who provided the blessings and rewards to you made, that cost them greatly, so that you could receive a blessing? And lastly, do you personally feel any obligation to give anything back to those who have given so freely to you?
Oh,…Oh,….now I am getting close to the “quick.”…now I am starting to meddle. Do you see or feel my nose starting to poke into your own affairs?
God made our world and all that is in it perfectly… and perfectly balanced. For every good there is a bad, for every positive there is a negative….for every “giver,” there is an offsetting taker.” Everything balances. So, permit me to ask you one simple question…..which one are you,….what is your “life’s account”… balance? Have you taken more than you have given?…or…Have you given more than you have taken? Using an accountant’s vernacular, does your life’s account have an excess positive debit balance? I hope you have given more than you have taken!
The truth is that the vast majority of people are takers. They, many of them for years, have taken blessings and benefits OUT of their environment and seldom, if ever, put anything of real value back IN to the system from which they have withdrawn. They take and take and take OUT time, resources, energy, money, other people’s efforts,… and then enjoy the blessings and benefits for themselves that have been more or less created and generated by the efforts and resources of other people. Rarely do they personally create benefits and blessings that can be passed on to other people. They just seem totally happy and content to take without giving anything back.
God warns us in His Word that we are “not to eat our own seed.” That is exactly what a person who takes out (without giving or putting anything back in to the system, organization or relationship) is doing…..eating their own seed. Now hear this well. You cannot violate God’s Word or His Instruction and ever expect to receive any long term type rewards or blessings from God and His Promises. Simply put, God will not violate His own Character. He will never lie. He will never not fulfill His Promises to you as long as you do or perform and meet the conditions required to validate His Promise.
Now please permit me to give you some advice and counsel from the knowledge and understanding I have obtained from over 37 years of hands-on experience. If you want to be happy, if you want to be filled with constant joy, if you want to maintain a positive mental attitude, and if you want to be highly successful,….then always do whatever it takes to become and stay a Giver. Serve other people first before addressing and helping yourself. Always put the needs of others above your own and serve those other people’s needs through performance and heartfelt love and assistance.
The fact is that… You can have anything in life that you want,…if… you will first help enough other people get want they want.
Peace and Love to All of You……………….Poppa Bear