Jesus instructed: “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together, overflowing.”
Luke 6:38
Notes for Contemplation as You Use this Devotional:
- This passage from the “Sermon on the Plain,” in the section, “Do Not Judge,” by the Gospel Writer Called Luke, invites us to consider our motivations for giving.
- Jesus’s imagery of giving suggests grapes, pressed down so fully that they overflow as delicious wine.
- As a great, first-century wayshower and master teacher, Jesus knew that our giving consciousness—our mindset of generosity—matters most. So, his wisdom encourages us to give until we feel joyful and fulfilled.
- Joy is a feeling of happiness and well-being. It’s a heart-centered experience, rather than an intellectual one. Some people say they feel it as a sense of inner warmth, especially around their heart.
- Intuition guides joyful giving.As we feel joy within our own bodies, we can discern how to give so we’re fulfilled and don’t defy our or others’ boundaries.
- Our search for joy is usually disappointing when we seek it outside ourselves. In fact, if we give with specific judgments or expectations about how our gift will be received or what we’ll get in return, we diminish our joy because we aren’t giving freely. We’re giving conditionally, perhaps out of obligation.
- In her 2015 Psychology Today blog, “The Joy of Giving,” Life Coach Allison Carmen suggests: “When we can release our expectations and assist another person with the pure intention of just giving, it can be one of the most thrilling aspects of our lives, even when we hear or see no reaction or get nothing in return.”
- Demonstration is the evidence you can see of what is or isn’t working in your life. You demonstrate joy through your heart-centered desire to give your abundance, time, and talent to others.
- Joy is an element of Advent, the contemplative season which prepares us for Christmas. But even if Advent isn’t part of your spiritual practice, you can still contemplate how you would like to give freely and feel more joy in your life.
Contemplation Questions:
As you reflect on your life and circumstances, ask yourself:
- In what ways am I open and willing to give?
- Breathe deeply, with your attention centered on your heart. Gently allow your feelings of generosity to flow.
- Then, list, word map, or illustrate all the ways you feel willing to give.
- When I give, what are my judgments or expectations about how my gift will be received?
- Breathe deeply, with your attention centered on your heart.
- Then, list, word map, or illustrate whatever judgments or expectations you notice.
- When I consider my judgments or expectations, which of them am I willing to release?
- Breathe deeply, with your attention centered on your heart.
- Then, list, word map, or illustrate everything you can release.
- As I discern all the ways I want to give my abundance, time, and talents, which feel most heartwarming and joyful?
- Breathe deeply, with your attention centered on your heart.
- Then, list, word map, or illustrate whatever feels most joyful.
- As I reflect on my desire to give, what are at least three (3) ways I am open to receive graciously and joyfully?
- Breathe deeply, with your attention centered on your heart.
- Then, list, word map, or illustrate as many ways as you can imagine.
As you use this devotional, be honest and gentle with yourself, especially if you have felt obligated or forced into giving. Remember that your heart-centered desire to give joyfully matters more than what you give. Trust that your pure loving energy imbues the gift so the recipient can be open to feel it. Then, once you give, let go. Even if you don’t get thanked or the gift is exchanged, hold onto your joy and stay open to receive.
© 2022 – Rev. Jennifer L. Sacks – All rights reserved.
Photo by 88studio from Shutterstock.
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