In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Acts 20:35 NIV
More Blessed to Give
In 2022, Charitable Impact set out to find out the most generous cities in Canada. Not surprisingly, two of Canada’s largest cities, Toronto and Vancouver, donated the most. The most charitable places by percentage of tax filers who are donors are Stratford, Ontario and Steinbach, Manitoba. The 10 most charitable places by donations per donor are Steinbach and Winkler, Manitoba. These same two communities top the list for most charitable places by percentage of income donated.
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Followers of Jesus are on the receiving end of the greatest gift ever offered to the human race – the gift of eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Once we receive that gift, God pours out one gift after another – too many to list here. James tells us that every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights. We are blessed in every way as we have received these many and varied gifts. Which makes what we read in Acts 20:35 so amazing – “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” If anyone understands what it means to be needy, it is the follower of Jesus. We recognize our spiritual poverty and our inability to do anything to earn eternal life. It is only by the generosity of God that we are among the redeemed. We are then called to meet the needs of others who are weak. By doing so, we are testifying to the goodness and provision of God. This is why it is more blessed to give than receive.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley