Connections Archive

Dr Bruce Manners
Senior minister, Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church

Winston Churchill's best-known speech was probably his "We-shall-fight-on-the-beaches" speech where he pledged his country to fight on until they won the Second World War. Passionate. Stirring. It rallied England.

Less known is his one-liner, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

Getting and giving. Life's at its best when that balance is right. Too much getting and the danger is you'll become selfish and demanding. Too much giving and you become a burden-to yourself, your family and society.

Life's at its best when the balance is right. There's nothing wrong with getting when you see yourself not as deserving of whatever it is, but as a steward of the resource. There's a blessing in giving, for in giving you help others.

One of the problems we face is that we think of getting and giving in monetary terms. Something you can check in your bank balance, or that you can total up in money terms--the value of your house(s), car(s) or earning capacity ("Why else would I be doing that degree?" a student may ask).

That changes when you remember that life is a gift. Every breath. Every heartbeat. Nobody chooses to live. Your parents may have chosen to have you, but life remains a miracle. Life is God gotten.

So, what have you got? What are you doing with it?

What would an inventory of what you've got look like? Yes, finances and earning capacity are part of it, but so are your natural abilities, your interests and your position.

The big question, again: What are you doing with them?

Here's a tip from Jesus: "It is more blessed to give than to get" (adapted slightly from Acts 20:35).