Last words are always important, even when they do not end up being the last words.  In Acts 20, we read of Paul’s farewell speech to the elders of the church at Ephesus.  He believed, at the time, that he would not ever see them in person again.  We might expect, then, that whatever Paul said to them would be something he deemed to be very important.

Wisely, the last message that Paul gave to these brethren from Ephesus came directly from Jesus.  Paul quoted Him as saying, “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). 

We do not have the specific record of Jesus saying this, but He certainly exemplified this truth by the life that He lived, and so should we.  We all should be great givers, seeing that giving is at the heart of being a Christian.

When we give as we should, we are following in the steps of God.  No one ever gave more than He did.

John 3:16 (ESV)
¹⁶  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Can you imagine giving your only son as a sacrifice for your enemies?  Anything we give to God, or anyone else, pales in comparison to God’s giving.  And what about Jesus?  When Paul wanted to encourage the saints at Corinth to give to the poor brethren of Judea, he held forth the example of Jesus.  

2 Corinthians 8:9 (ESV)
⁹  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Without the willingness of God and His Son to give so much, we would all be destined to be eternally lost. We are truly saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Do you believe that it is more blessed to give than to receive?  If we really believe this truth, it should be seen by our giving.  What are a few things we can all give?

• We can give our time to the Lord.

I know we are all very busy.  Such is the nature of life.  It always seems like there are not enough hours in the day to do all that we set out to accomplish.  But, God should be a priority in our lives.  If anyone is going to be deprived of our time, the last one it should be is God.  Sadly, sometimes He is the first one we neglect.  Many have time for work, play, family, and friends, but no time to serve God.  That seems to be backward, doesn’t it?  Jesus would say it is.

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
³³  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

• We can give our talents to the church.

Do not be selfish with your abilities.  Whatever talent God has given you, He gave you to help others.

 1 Peter 4:10 (ESV)
¹⁰  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 

Are you helping the local church by using your talents to the best of your ability?  We all have different gifts, and some have more than others, but one thing we all can do is use the ones given to us by God.  It is my responsibility to discover whatever ability God has given me and then to use it to serve others in the church.  The church relies on brethren being willing to be active participants in the work of the Lord.  Are you doing your part?  Paul said the church is edified by the proper working of each part (Ephesians 4:16).  Use your talents to help the church grow, and you will be blessed.

• We can give prayer to all.

James said, “The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power.”  There are not too many things you can give that are more important than prayer.  We should be praying for everyone.

1 Timothy 2:1 (ESV)
¹  First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,

There is always something we can give to help others and to further the cause of Christ.  Let us follow in the steps of God and give our best, remembering that “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”