Real Generosity - Bro. Bo Sanchez (I was inspired! =] )

One person asked me, “But Bo, I’ve been giving and giving and giving all my life—but I haven’t been receiving my rewards!”

Perhaps because it may not be generosity at all.

You see, there are two types of giving that happens in the world.

1. When we give because we love

2. When we give because we want to be loved

Look. There’s nothing wrong if you want to be loved. It’s your most basic need. But friends, never use generosity as a way of getting love. That’s toxic. You call that co-dependent love and it’s lethal. Pleasing people so that they will love you is slow suicide.

If your “Love Tank” is empty, you need to do two things. First, ask God to love you. And second, love yourself. Unless you learn to be generous to yourself, your generosity will not be real.

My friend Mila (not her real name) was such a woman. She always gave gifts to her friends. Food. Clothes. Flowers. Sometimes, expensive stuff like cellphones and Ipods. People would tell her, “Oh, you’re so generous.” But deep within, I know Mila is one of the most miserable people on earth. She’s constantly depressed. Because she has no true friends. Her friends are there simply because she gives them stuff. People abuse her constantly, asking things from her.

Mila isn’t receiving the rewards of her generosity because she’s not really generous. She is needy.

When you give out of need, you will become even more needy. But if you give out of love, you will receive more love.

Remember the bowl with grey stones? Mila gives away her white stones—creating space in her heart. But because she’s giving out of need and fear and not out of love, misery and bitterness fill up that space she created.

I repeat:

Real generosity is giving out of love, which fills our lives with more love.

And let me share with you the biggest reward of generosity.