Life works on the principal of reciprocity – that’s what I figured out today.
It’s 1 : 17 PM on day 1505 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, pray, read Ecclesiastes 12, publish my Disability of the Day feature, stretch my hamstrings, feed myself a peanut butter sandwich and a banana for breakfast and promote my Educate Generations campaign – still on $750 but things could be a lot worse 🙂
Today I figured out that life works on the principal of reciprocity if you interact genuinely with people, give more than you take and work hard the things you want will come to you. Do you apply the principal of reciprocity in your daily life?
The conclusion, when all has been heard, is:
Fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
As I join you in the reading of Ecclesiastes 12, I reflect on the ease by which we might confuse the teachings of others and, perhaps, false teachers. There is certain danger if we confuse humanistic ideas with the word of God.
For example, in Matthew 7:12 Jesus tells us:
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
This could be easily confused with the concept of reciprocity (or justice) which is natural enough: If I scratch your back, you should scratch my back. And vice versa.
But the golden rule suggests to me something that goes beyond a nature sense of justice and obligation. In other words, charity. Charity means that I give readily to those of true need (absolutely not needs of perversion and evil) and without expectation of equal, lesser or greater value. BECAUSE the needs of others are provided through us by God’s providence. If God can entrust us with such responsibility.
I may be mistaken. I’m not a theologian. But even if we are not theologians, we can humbly and respectfully ask questions about the thigns we don’t understand. And we can ask God for answers.
So I wanted to say that people will generally work with you as long as there is equity in the transaction and relationship. Some will try to cheat you and get more than what they gave. Some will not value (or devalue) what you have to offer.
But God demands that we be merciful and compassionate to those in need – especially orphans, widows, the hungry, the thirsty, etc. And God gives us provision to give – even when it is not obvious.
I agree with you that when you give with your heart you don’t expect anything in return but as a result of that you do receive.
Yes he does give us more than enough