Good to greatness
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” (NLT) 2 Corinthians 9:6-9
I am not so much of a fan of politics however one of the ways I spend my pastime is to listen to political speeches. I particularly like listening to the speeches of Barack Obama, United States President. The speech that he delivered in the 2004 Democratic National Convention (DNC) has been my all time favourite. Since then I have been listening to the speeches delivered at DNCs.
In the 2016 DNC, the Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton made a profound statement in response to her opponent’s assertion that America has lost its greatness. She said America is great because America is good. I couldn’t have agreed with her any better. In terms of humanitarian assistance to disaster and war victims, I don't know of any country that does it better than America. In terms of scholarships and bursaries to foreign students, I don’t know of any country that is more generous than America. In terms of realisation of one’s dream and ambitions, I don’t know of any country that gives more hope than America. Take any parameter used for measuring goodness and America will be among the top scorers if not the best. I believe strongly that America has become the greatest nation in the world (in terms of material wealth) not because of their strong economy or military might but because of their unparalleled benevolence.
Every individual or every nation that is inward looking and does not offer a helping hand to the needy is unwittingly denying himself or herself of greatness. Givers never lack. They become the head and never the tail.