Comedian Michael Jr. and the Surprising Gift of Giving

Do you remember the last time you were able to give someone something they really enjoyed or needed? Maybe you did the dishes for your housemate, threw a party for your mom’s birthday, wrote a reference for a co-worker, or simply listened to a friend who needed a some advice. The experience of giving probably came with a sense of connection and satisfaction. Acts 20:35 tells us “It is more blessed to give than to receive“, and many studies have confirmed that giving makes people happier, healthier and less stressed.–Perhaps just as God enjoys giving good gifts to us, we too are meant to experience a sense of joy when we give. 

And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. – 2 Corinthians 9:8 

2 Corinthians 9:8 tells us to be generous in every good work. This month, we examined ways that we can aid the poor with our money . But there are other ways we can give generously in and through our work, not just with the money we earn from it.

Here, comedian Michael Jr. powerfully describes how the idea of “giving” impacted his work for the better.

“Normally when a comedian gets on stage, he wants to get laughs from people. And I felt a little shift take place, where I felt like I was to go up there and give them an opportunity to laugh. Now I’m not looking to take. I’m looking for an opportunity to give. This changed everything.” – Michael Jr.

Look to Others’ Interests

Michael Jr. realized that through his work, he could “make laughter common in uncommon places.” Like Michael Jr., we’ve each been given gifts that enable us to work for the good of our communities. Our gifts include skills, abilities, family, connections, social positions, education, experiences, and more.  

At work, giving can include large endeavors or simple acts of service. For example, if a co-worker needs help developing a skill, or patience from us as we deal with his or her shortcomings, we have opportunities to be generous. If you’re an employer, you might consider paying your workers well, or creating a work environment conducive to healthy work-life balance. If you’re an entrepreneur, you can start a business or organization that meets the needs of (or employs) underserved populations. Some other ideas for generosity:

• Take time to mentor others.
• Offer opportunities for training and development.
• Genuinely listen to problems or complaints.
• Make sure no one is left out socially.
• Stand up for those suffering misuse.
• Offer genuine friendship.
• Give sincere praise, thanks or affirmation.
• Apologize for offenses.

Acts of generosity at work may cost us time or money. We might have to examine our complicity in a culture that values efficiency over compassion. We may need to check our own selfish ambitions. But if we could become ungrudging in making these sacrifices, would we open new doors for God’s blessing through our work? 

Look to God, the Ultimate Giver 

“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” – Mother Teresa

In the book of Acts, the author clearly forges a link between the Holy Spirit’s power and the ability to live with Christ-like generosity. The descriptions of the community in Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-38 follow immediately from the first two major manifestations of the Holy Spirit. This is because we need God’s spirit to resource our generosity. Ultimately, God is the author and source of every good gift that we give.

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. – James 1:17

Therefore, we must ask God to provide all that we need to give generously. At work, we can ask for wisdom, peace, patience, freedom from fear of competition and freedom from anxiety. These come from being rooted in God’s love. As we give from this love, we can participate in God’s redemptive purposes for the world. We discover deeper connection with God, others and our own sense of calling. This is the surprising gift of giving.

“If we could just stop asking the question ‘What can I get for myself?’ and start asking ‘What can I give from myself?’ I think people would learn that you don’t have to be a comedian to deliver a punchline.” – Michael Jr.

Special thanks to ilikegiving.com for the Michael Jr. video.