You will orient yourself as a giver or a getter in life. It comes down to this. You will find yourself on one side or the other. They are mutually exclusive. As you walk through life, are you looking for what you can get or what you can give? Tip your waitress at the restaurant generously; look for a reason to leave a generous tip and be a blessing, not a reason to give a small one. Quickly give your forgiveness to those who have wronged you. Give to your enemies.

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great. (Luke 6:35). 

A few years ago, I was traveling on a trip and teaching in a pastor’s training school in Africa. While we were shopping in a street market, I had some money pick-pocketed from me. At first I felt a real violation and separation from the people of this country. How dare they steal from me when I had come all this distance at my own expense to help them? However, I soon realized that for me to do any effective teaching there I needed to “give the money away” and release the person from my judgments. Giving the money away immediately alleviated the separation and alienation I was feeling after being robbed, and reconnected me to the precious African people I was attempting to minister to.

Sometimes you are taken advantage of by those who literally choose to steal money or time from you. Even though something was taken, you can still “give it” to the individuals that are now in possession of your property. By doing so, you can remove the pain from the situation and actually be a cheerful giver which releases blessing in your life. You are forgiving the person who stole from you, even though this does not mean they shouldn’t be punished for what they did. I learned long ago that forgiveness does not mean the other person was right.

I have found that at times the Lord has directed me to give gifts, most often anonymously, to people I have struggled with in relationships. It has generally brought freedom into the relationship.