I think we have all heard at one time or another (I know I’ve said it) “we get what we give”. That goes hand in hand with the current day thoughts of karma, and the old saying, “what goes around comes around”. Even financial gurus are telling us if you want to get rich then start tithing! Jesus taught us, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. Some of our giving is natural. I think most of us would bend over to help someone that has fallen down in front of us. It’s not too much to give a few coins to the Santa Claus outside the store at Christmas time. We donate old clothing to Goodwill stores, or canned foods to the church food drive… but is that enough?

Unfortunately, I think our sense of service (or giving) is starting to cocoon like everything else these days. How often do you reach into your pocket to get change for the beggar next to the store entrance (or do you complain to security that you were accosted as you entered). Do you pull over and help push the stalled car out of the intersection, or do you whisper to yourself as you drive by; “sorry, I’ll be late for work if I help”.

And then we wonder why our lives never seem to work out the way we had planned. Oh, we might get to where we wanted to be but dang it was hard. (As hard as pushing a car out of an intersection by yourself?). Or maybe we have everything, but somehow we still are not happy. If we adopt a mindset of service into our lives things will start to go much smoother for you. Now don’t just donate an hour a week at the library because you know if you do, your life will be better; it will be, but rest assured not as good as it could be. Give of your talents. If you are great with numbers… give time to a charitable back office helping with their books. If you are good with people, become a spokes person for valuable cause. Don’t give because you know you’ll get something in return… give in service to other, because to serve another human being is the right and natural thing to do.