Article December 22, 1928 Issue

Giving and Serving

ARCHIE E. VAN OSTRAND

True giving is the art of self-sacrifice, the giving of one's self. It cannot be manifested in the mere transfer of money or material things, which may have cost the giver nothing. The gift must have some spiritual value, some self-sacrifice behind it, to make it profitable to the giver. Moreover, mere material giving may not be a blessing to the individual who receives. This will depend upon the use he makes of the gift.

One of the greatest problems of successful men is the wise disposition of large fortunes. It is a fact all too apparent to observers, that children who inherit wealth without having been trained to know the value of money in terms of service and self-sacrifice, are seldom wise enough to use their money without harm to themselves. This form of gift-giving may be summed up in the words of Paul: "Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, ... and have not charity [Love], it profiteth me nothing."

The most substantial form of giving is the gift of one's self. The man or woman who lays down his self-interest, ease, material pleasure, pride, for the purpose of serving humanity, whether it be in the realm of religion, statesmanship, commerce, agriculture, or the home, will attain the peace which is the fruit of unselfed love.

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