One can only give what one has.  If you have nothing, then it is difficult to give anything.

How do you go about having something to give?

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and everything will be added unto you.  Once you have something then you can consider giving it to others.

The him who has, more shall be added unto him.  To him who has not, even that which has has shall be taken from him.

Hi Poguru    your quote ----Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and everything will be added unto you.  Once you have something then you can consider giving it to others.

Great Posting

We also have love, acceptance, encouragement, etc to give.  Generosity is not limited to material resources.

Hi Jim Kenny    your quote   We also have love, acceptance, encouragement, etc to give.  Generosity is not limited to material resources.

You are right and are speaking here about the fruit of the Spirit all 3 are encompassed in Agape . Agape is acceptance with no conditions attached ---it encourages ---it drives out fear . To have this type of love you must have The Holy Spirit .

One can give from fullness or from emptiness  . No matter which way we give it is still giving and is good to do   ----Giving from fullness means we are first filled from within . The Holy Spirit provides us with an overflow of His Love --He gives us energy to help others . When we give from emptiness we are giving on our own power and we can over extend ourselves and burn out occurs . We also need to keep a check on our giving that it Glorifies God not ourselves .

Well, Poguru, one always has oneself to give. This, by the way, is the biggest bargain of all times: In return for our jaundiced egocentric self God gives us our ultimate, cosmic and godly self. We can then no longer be egocentric, but this is a small price to pay.

Good to see you posting again Arminius, you too Poguru.

Jim Kenny wrote:
"I wonder if it would be more helpful to help people expand their zone of self-interest.  If our neighbours, including those we don't know, have ready access to the necessities of life including meaningful participation in society, then our daily lives will be safer, more stable, and more enjoyable.  If our environment is cared for, including the other animals that share it, we, and our children who are an extension of ourselves will have healthier, richer lives.  Etc."
This expansion of self-interest is also a formal Tibetan Buddhist practice called "Metta".
You begin by learning how to befriend yourself, and extend that in a gradual expansion of that which encompasses wider circles of society. This recognizes that everything is connected.
Is it possible without self-interest? Doubt it. We are human after all, but the end does justify the means in this instance IMO.
Arm - great to hear from you :)