The Virtue of Giving

To begin with, giving can be defined as a virtue and it entails generosity and being willing to assist. It is an extension of the fruits of the holy spirit notably love. In other words, people who have the desired virtues according to the scripture are good givers. For this essay, Wounded Warrior Project will form the subject of discussion about the virtue of giving. Additionally, reference will be given to other sources to unearth more about the subject matter.

Having said this, it is fundamental to note that people can give in a variety of ways. Some of the ways in which this can occur include through cash incentives and cashless incentives. For Wounded Warrior, they accept donations in either form. For cash donations, they accept credit card payments and mobile transfer payments. For the latter, it includes material things such as clothes, equipment, and gifts among others which can be donated on a monthly basis.

About Wounded Warrior Project

According to Wounded Warrior Project (2017), the organization is a non-profitable organization focusing on improving the lives of veterans and service men within the American military. In particular, it seeks to assist members who suffer from physical and mental injury during the course of their battlefield duties. The organization offers guidance and counselling services to the military men as well as their immediate families. Moreover, in case of deceased cases, they assist the family members in petitioning relevant government authorities to give them benefits due.

According to the organization’s mission statement, it prides itself in giving back to the society through many ways. One of the ways is through connecting warriors to programs, peers, and communities. Additionally, they give back to the community through offering free life-changing programs but more notably through empowering warriors to live to the fullest. In the event that a member of the service experiences physical or mental injuries, the organization moves forward to offer guidance and counselling programs as well as benefits which include family support. If he passes on, they will assist his family in getting his employment benefits through negotiation and advocacy services with the government. The contribution of military men in safeguarding the safety of American citizens is important to say the least. For this reason, the organizations encourage donations from citizens to assist in funding their operations that contribute to development in society. Indeed, the society should give out so that they may benefit more.

Reasons for Giving

Another reason why you should give is to show your powerful character in the face of adversity. Evidently, there are many catastrophes that strike the world in different countries and times. For this reason, when we donate we are uniting as humans to show the world that not even nature can destroy our will as mankind (Mandia, Kirgan, Gooden, 2016). According to Wounded Warrior Project (2017), many statesmen such as military men, firefighters, and rescue team persons have lost their lives in the course of their duties. For this reason, the donations that people give in supporting the operations of Wounded Warrior Project assist a lot in re-shaping their lives as well as those of close family members. Having said this, we have to appreciate the role that the organization plays in solving global disasters. This is to say that they are always there to provide the moral and mental support that the military require during difficult battles. In perspective of this, the organization’s efforts have been appreciated by the donations made by people of goodwill to enable them to support their operations.

Also, donating can assist in solving the poverty problem. According to the World Bank report of 2016, more than 70% of the global population lives under the poverty level which stands at $1.90 per day. The activities of Wounded Warrior Project show how giving assists in breaking the cycle of poverty in the world. Giving establishes a platform whereby the gap between the rich and the poor is reduced. For instance, the families of the deceased are supported in receiving benefits which helps in improving their lives. The fact that the organization has been at the front in giving to the society demonstrates why people are willing to donate to it. Indeed, this serves as an example as to why people should be willing to give.

Another point why we should give is to have a feeling of closeness to a society or community. In particular, when we participate in charity activities, we connect to the less fortunate on the ground, know their problems and inculcate values such as empathy which is an important foundation in assisting people .

To reiterate the initial point, society appreciates those who are cheerful givers through endorsements for leadership and political positions that come with valuable benefits. Additionally, society will be at the forefront to ensure that cheerful givers are perpetuated in leadership positions by voting for them during occasional electoral processes. For this reason, donation should not have limits because society has a way to pay back handsomely. You listening there! heed to this free advice because it will be useful to you in the future.

Spiritual and Moral Aspect

According to the scripts in the Bible, to give is compassionate and one who does so will receive abundant blessings. Accordingly, this is the first step towards a strong relationship with God. As mentioned earlier, giving is equated to worship and for this reason, the more you give the more you worship and hence the stronger your relationship with God. According to the book of Matthew 6:21, people are encouraged to give because where your treasure is, there your heart will also be. For instance, in many African countries, the community plays a vital role in the development of churches by assisting in cumulating funds for construction purposes. Notably, politicians and senior technocrats usually spearhead this process to act as a principal example that giving is receiving. Indeed, they perpetuate themselves in the political offices they hold the more reason why it is blessed to give than to receive. Additionally, giving nourishes a person’s spiritual growth and maturity. To exemplify this argument, the book of 1st Timothy 6:18-19 says that “Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share." St. Paul in his preaching encourages us to give and be changed into the image of Jesus Christ. In particular, he brings out this comparison because Jesus is the best example of the virtue of giving because he gave his life and died for the world and it is no mean feat that can be achieved by anyone. More notably, it should come wholesomely from our hearts rather than the act itself. When we give we lay a platform that will lead us to eternal life and it inculcates more virtues in us like faith, joy, and assurance which are hallmarks of eternal life.

Blessings of Giving

People should also give so as to receive heaven and earthly blessings. This is to say that it injects an abundant harvest in our lives in a variety of ways. Evidently, we are blessed financially, spiritually and morally which could be through better job opportunities, promotion in jobs, sealing of lucrative deals and contracts, success in examinations and above all healing from diseases. According to 1st Kings 17:9-24, the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath explains why giving is beneficial in the end. Indeed, she was living in poverty and had only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug which she was preparing to make as the last meal with her son. However, when Elijah requested that he should make him a loaf of bread with it instead, she did not refuse but generously accepted. Surely, the word of the Lord came to pass and in the end she had an abundant supply of both flour and oil in the jar and lived for many more years.

To further this discussion, giving is advisable because you will always have your prayers answered. He encourages us to hear the cry and assist the poor by sincerely giving so that we may grow in the Lord. In particular, growth entails gaining knowledge and having a strong bond with Jesus Christ. Evidently, the book of Jeremiah 22:16 quotes that people will be judged depending on how they treat the needy in the society. Moreover, giving is also advisable because the holy scripture says that he who gives will not lack and on the contrary those who are mean will be cursed. People should embrace the virtue of giving with two hands because you will reap only what you sow. What I am trying to say is that giving is like investing your savings in a bank account and they will mature at a certain period with interest with it. For this reason, the gospel by Mathews in the New Testament encourages us to have a different perception about giving. In particular, we should inculcate in us generosity and give tithes to the church for the blessings of the Lord will be in abundance. Indeed, we should strive to give more consequently we will receive more.

In summative, it is better to give than to receive and not the converse. More often than not, you don’t receive if you don’t give. This demonstrates why the organization under discussion has been able to support its operations. Evidently, they have participated so much in corporate social responsibility and the society has paid back with donations. As readers of this essay, we should give and this has been clearly outlined by the reasons mentioned earlier. For this reason, open your heart and be willing to donate and assist people for you will be rewarded accordingly.

Works Cited:

1. Fishman, S. (2015). CHAPTER 5: Charitable Giving—The Basics and Cash Donations. In Every Nonprofit's Tax Guide (pp. 217-257). Nolo.
2. Griffith, T. (2016). Make Your Giving Count: Now and in the Future. Business Journal (Central New York), 30(43), 4B.
3. Johnson, K., Sheka, K., & Weeden, J. (2015). Give to Get: Magnifying the Impact of Executive Compensation through Charitable Giving. Journal Of Financial Service Professionals, 69(1), 63-72.
4. Mandia, L., Kirgan, D., Gooden, K., Vega, M., Ritchie, M., Lloyd, R., & Redman, K. (2016). The Gift of Giving. HR Magazine, 61(10), 50.
5. Ward, M. K., & Broniarczyk, S. M. (2013). It's Not Me, It's You: How Gift Giving Creates Giver Identity Threat as a Function of Social Closeness. Journal Of Consumer Research, S270-S287. doi:10.1086/658166
6. Wounded Warrior Project (2017). Wounded Warrior Project, Inc. Retrieved from https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/mission/who-we-serve