How much could you lose and still be able to call yourself blessed?

Often we refer to ourselves or to other people as "blessed," when we're talking about a financial situation. We might say, "He's blessed to have a job like that." Or, "She's blessed to live in a house in that neighborhood." Or, "It must be nice to be blessed with that kind of inheritance."

Comments like these are centered around what people get.

I've noticed that I have used the term "blessed" as a spiritual-sounding substitute for words such as "lucky," "fortunate," or "privileged." Again, those words are most commonly used in reference to how much a person has been given. To receive gifts is a tremendous blessing, but the most blessed people aren't necessarily the ones who receive the most.

Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35)

I've heard that quote many times before, but for a long time, I'm not sure if I ever believed it. I mean really and truly believed it. It means that those who give are happier than those who receive. As I look at that verse, and look at it again, and again, and I think about it, and I think about it some more, I haven't really built my life and my family budget around that wild idea. In fact few people have.

When asked about how much they need to be happy, most answer, "just a little bit more." No matter the income level, most people want a little bit more. We don't think we have enough. Living in the United States, our perspective is skewed. A few weeks ago, we met with our financial planner, and he told us (nicely) that we don't have enough.

We sponsor a little girl from El Salvador through Compassion International, and I guarantee you that if she came into our house, I'd feel embarrassed. I can imagine the shock on her face as she saw all the food in our pantry and refrigerator, two cars in our garage, four bedrooms, and toys everywhere. She would think we had grossly more than enough.

The thing is, Jesus wants us to have "more." Remember? He said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. He wants you to have more, but He knows that you only reach the satisfaction level of "more" when you focus on giving instead of getting.

Having a job with a great income is blessed, but what is more blessed? Giving a lot of it away. Receiving that perfect gift makes us feel happy, but don't we feel more happy when we give a perfect gift?

I bet you've heard Winston Churchill's quote on this topic, "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." I love that.

Giving doesn't just refer to financial giving. It's also more blessed to give service than it is to receive service. It's more blessed to give love than to receive love. The fulfilled feeling of "more" that we're all striving for can only be attained by giving, not by receiving.

That seems simple enough doesn't it? Ha! The ability to give like this doesn't come naturally. It's a result of the Spirit of Christ working in us to move us to give. When we act according to the flesh, our focus is on getting. But as we abide in Christ and focus on how much He gave to us, His power within us compels us to give joyfully. We see our blessings as a way to bless others. Then we experience the "more" that Jesus talked about.

Wanting "more,"