“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
Serious musicians know how to get to Carnegie Hall---practice, practice, practice. There are rewards in life that come about only by application of personal effort. While it's true that you can become a millionaire by winning the lottery, the odds are far greater that you will reach that goal by hard work and ingenuity. Hard work and dedication to achieving one's goals was the heart of the old “American Dream.”
To become wealthy, one must pursue riches. To be a master craftsman, one must combine training, experience and education. Personal integrity is achieved by practicing honesty and sound ethics. Knowledge comes by education and experience. Everyone in America is entitled to a free, public education, but one glance at Facebook and you know that not everyone received one. This is because curriculum, class size, and all the other modern techniques are a far distant second to personal effort on the part of each student.
Nevertheless, life's greatest rewards can not be earned nor achieved by force of will. It is equally true that these successes will not simply be handed out for free. Love, respect, mercy and understanding are not entitlements handed out by the government; neither can you earn them by pursuing them.
Love, respect and understanding come to you when you consistently give them away. We “earn” the respect of others only when we give due respect to others. The Bible actually goes even further. It says to really gain love, respect and understanding, you must give them away to those who are unable or unwilling to repay.
“ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God is love because He gives love without measure—even to His enemies.
As in Christ's case, the return on our investment in love, respect and understanding will not come quickly or easily. But, God is faithful who promised that the reward will indeed come our way. Our cruse of oil will not run dry. God will be merciful to those who show mercy. He will demonstrate His love to those who love their neighbor. He will bless those that bless and have compassion on those who show compassion and grant eternal life to those who give their life unselfishly.
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