Strive to bless

The Art of Altruism

Helping people is both a blessing (both to the giver and recipient), and a responsibility. The opportunity to share oneself to those who are in need is present in our daily realities. It is just a matter of opening one's eyes to the pressing need of giving assistance to those who need a helping hand. Just try to observe how the world moves around you. Notice a little girl walking along the side street trying to sell little things like sampaguita, cigarettes, or even gum and candies. Turn your attention to the old man sitting by the curb as he tries to catch his breath and manage his thirst while he hauls his sack full of old plastic bottles and used paper products which he will sell to earn a few pesos for his next meal. Or a poor dog lagging along the highway with a sprained leg or body covered in mange. And sometimes we don't need to look very far. There are those who need our help within our family or in our own churches and communities. Everywhere we turn, there are opportunities calling for us to help.

IT IS A BLESSING.

"...From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Luke 12:48 

Although this verse is usually related to tithing or giving to the works of the Church, I also believe that this refers to our responsibility to share our blessings with others. God intends to bless more people by blessing us, the receiver of His bounty. Through our big heart and generosity, the Lord works through our sincere acts of kindness flowing from our gratitude towards the Giver of Good Gifts. It is also a form of worship towards the Lord. And by blessing others, we open more room for God's blessings to flow into our lives. As we empty our vessel, the Lord fills it up to the brim. And with our generosity and willingness to help, we give glory to the Lord, the only source of blessings. 

IT IS A RESPONSIBILITY.

We were given the power to bless and help others, yes, but we were also given the responsibility to help them rise up and become "blessers". It is good to give help, but it is not good if we give help to the point of dependency, complacency, and laziness. It is our social and moral obligation to help and teach at the same time. As a Chinese proverb says: "Give a man to fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and  you will feed him for a lifetime". It is also upon our conscience to teach the recipient, the true value of the fish, by teaching him the hard work that comes with catching the fish. What I mean to say is that helping people is good, but helping becomes better and gains more value when we teach people how they could be self sufficient, so they too can become channels of blessings. 

I know how it is to be in need of help and I personally experienced a lot of times how to lower my pride to ask for help. Many times I have been the receiver of numerous blessings from people who are angels on earth. I know how it is to be hard pressed and was in situations wherein any source of help seams bleak. I also know how it feels to be rejected and neglected.  Through these experiences, I learned how to become merciful and compassionate. But also rising from these experiences, I realized that it is equally important to be a source of wisdom and motivation to help people rise up and do something constructive to change their situations. I learned that it is more important that people realize that the only person who can really help them  change their situation is themselves. Bottom line, the real blessing is realized only when you can help someone change their outlook and perspective, in the hope that this will help them muster the courage to alter their future by changing their ways and thinking today. 

Altruism is a blessing and a responsibility because a single act of kindness and a single word of encouragement literally changes someone's life. Strive to bless and create more "Blessers", I know it will make a difference in the long haul.