Freely Give

"For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

One day it hit me...my students have no idea what I went through in the last five years so that I could be a teacher.  They have never seen the diploma or the grades that summarize my hard work.  I know that they realize little of the work and commitment of a teacher. They don't see me when I hike to the mountain early in the morning to pray for them.  They don't know how stressful it is for me to discipline them, or how it hurts me when I have to take privileges away from them. 

So why do I do it? because, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35) The need of my students is greater than their ability to give. I can't measure what I give them by their ability to give back to me. I must learn the joy of giving simply for the sake of giving. I can't expect them to fully appreciate what I am doing for them.

But, why? "...freely ye have received, freely give."(Matthew 10:8) My Heavenly Father has done more for me than I could ever repay. What if He had waited until I could understand and appreciate the price He paid for me? (I would be lost!) In return, He only asks for what I am capable of giving.

I am starting to understand in a deeper way what it means to live a life of service. It's really not about what's fair. It's not about getting back what I gave or being rewarded for my sacrifice. Its not about counting the cost, and seeing if I will have enough left over for my own pleasure. God knows that the greatest joy I can experience is simply giving. Does it add up? Remember, it's God's math, not ours!

"For God so loved the world that He gave..." (John 3:16)