Do you like people for who they are or what they can do for you?

I’ve contemplated this in the past but this week it really hit home so let me ask you….
“do you like people for who they are or what they can do for you?”

Now bear with my random thoughts here as they go from the movie, Mr Deeds to The Bible in Mark 12:44 ~~ yes, I know…two different realms but follow me.

We’ve all heard stories about how when someone has money everyone becomes their ‘friend’, when the money runs out or any other benefits from someone, there go the supposed friends. You can tell who your true friends are if they stick around and have absolutely nothing to gain other than merely being your friend-no materialistic benefits.

When Adam Sandler played Longfellow Deeds in Mr Deeds, he owned a pizza joint and wrote greeting cards to submit to Hallmark (think it was Hallmark anyhow). He was happy and enjoyed life. Then, he finds out he’s inherited billions of $ along with sports teams, etc….cut to ending where in fact he isn’t the heir but the butler who then gives Sandler (Deeds) $1billion. Sandler (Deeds) goes back to Mandrake Falls with Winona Ryder (Babe) and gives the entire town all new Corvettes as gifts and I’m assuming he lives happily ever after.

Now, everyone in Mandrake Falls like Deeds before he had money and obviously after getting a new Corvette they continued to like him. Point is this, he was happy before he thought he had money. He was happy with his life and had friends before he had money. Nothing was to be gained by befriending him other than his personality…no material gain, no monetary gain.

Which brings me to organizations, charities, churches and the like.
If you tithe or donate (partnership) with any — that’s excellent!
You’re probably doing it because you know that it’s a blessing to give, sowing & reaping and enjoy doing a good thing.
I’m guessing you do it because it feels good, it’s the right thing to do, and a slew of other reasons. I know that’s why I do…I enjoy helping others and want to make a difference.
I give not to be rewarded by people or befriended by the place who’s receiving my donation.
I give to give-it’s just that plain and simple.

Here comes the tricky part though, read Mark 12:44 below.

Mark 12:44 from The Message:
Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all.”

For quiet some time I could barely pay my bills, did without things I’d like and struggled, yet I did know that God supplies all my needs so it wasn’t a concern or an issue. I continued to tithe, donate, etc. sometimes making it difficult to write out that $50 check to so and so. But like the woman in Mark 12:44 I did it because I got fed from the word and this organizations message and the people involved in it. They blessed me every day with what they provide the world so it was (and still is) wonderful to be able to donate to them.

However, recently I sold one of my businesses and was able to tithe a much larger amount amount to them. Now, mind you during the entire time I was donating $50/month I only received the receipt and slip to send in my next months ‘partnership’. However, within less than 2 weeks of my sending in the more substantial donation I received an email from someone in a high position there requesting my presence as they’d like to meet their supporters. Cool I thought. I even started the drive up to meet this person, then mid way I started thinking and opted to not go. I did call and cancel, stating something came up. They offered me the opportunity to meet at a later date if I so desired.

What happened enroute you ask.
It dawned on me about Mark 12:44, not once during two years of donating a measly $50/month did anyone ever want to “meet” me, yet I give a large amount and then they want to? It was harder for me at times to give the $50 than it was to write out this bigger check (just like Mark 12:44 for those with money, they were giving something they wouldn’t miss, and yet the woman clearly gave all she had–which at times was how I felt with the measly $50).

Now I could be over thinking this and could be making something out of nothing but regardless these are my thoughts. They could have and perhaps should have wanted to meet me at some other point during the past 2 years as a “loyal contributor” or something like that. I know other people who work at the place and they’ve talked to me during the prior years, yet the ‘big honcho’ never wanted to until now. Coincidence? Perhaps…or perhaps he only wants to meet with people who give x amount of $? I don’t know and perhaps I’ll muster up the ability to email and ask and explain why “something came up” and I had to cancel our “meet & greet”.

But, on top of that I was thinking that I give because it’s right and what I’m led to do. I don’t need ‘acknowledgment’ from others yet the human/emotional side of me thought it was cool they wanted to meet me. We are not to give seeking recognition and praise from people… we’re to do so to glorify Him and not look for recognition…knowing that we’re doing what He instructs us and He will reward us in Heaven…so that was the other aspect of this ‘battle’ I was having in my head while enroute to destination. Perhaps, I’d have felt better or more comfortable with the situation if it was just a random desire for them to meet me…but that’s not how it felt…danged those feelings!. Sometimes they can be such a blessing, other times they can be so darned confusing and get in the way and lead to tug-o-wars in your own mind.

Additionally, as most everyone who knows me knows…I wear cargo shorts along with tanks or tee’s and sneakers or yoga sandals. That’s just me. I’m into comfort, ease and not getting all dressed up and not being able to function properly (trust me, I cannot walk in heels!). However, that morning I made an attempt…I wore dressy capri slacks, and a blouse along with sandals. Though, why should I have to get dressed up? If this person truly wants to meet Tara Burner, then that means I should be able to show up wearing my cargo shorts, tank top and my yoga sandals or sneakers and they should be okay with that. I’m still me whether I donate $50 or 300 times that, my clothing doesn’t make me who I am. So, if and when I decide I do want to go through with the “meet and greet” I’ll be wearing my cargo shorts and simply being myself. If someone’s going to like me, like me for me…not my clothes, not my donation…but for me and what He has created in me and what I’m lead to do because of Him.

So I guess through all this rambling and weird thought process my point is this…be yourself, be a blessing to others, impress people with who you are not with what you have, be friends with people for genuine reasons and not because you think there’s something to gain, be friends even when the other has nothing to give you but their time, attention and pure friendship (that’s worth more than money and ‘things’), appreciate it though when others and God bless you and acknowledge them and God- but do it genuinely and acknowledge all blessings…not just the big ones!