Takers

Takers

You know these people? They take, take, take, and never give. They are spoiled children who take advantage of grandparents, use parents, and manipulate people to get what they want. They are employees, who dump off their responsiblities on other workers, or who work harder getting out of work than they do actually doing their job. They are spouses who marry people only to use them as a maid, a cook, and to wait on them hand and foot, and never give anything in return.

Takers are not good people. They use people, take advantage of people, manipulate people, and only care about themselves. What they want, how they feel, and what they can get out of it. They have an agenda, and the agenda is ME! They are people who use their kids for pawns in divorce, they fight over dead relatives belongings, and they use people who what they can get from them or what that person can do for them.

Takers are in the church as well. They go to church with the attitutude of getting not giving. They have an agenda, and want things the way they want them. They don't realize church is about GIVING God our worship and our service, not what we can get out of the church. Church is about giving, not getting, and being a christian is about giving, not getting.

We need to treat our spouse with mutual respect, not take, take, take, and never give. We need to teach our children and grandchildren that life is not always about our way, getting what we want, or always getting to do what we want, but that it's about giving as well. Being considerate, thoughtful, sharing, and having balance in our lives.

I'm not saying we should not give people stuff like gifts, or our time, or things, but what I am suggesting is we stop being selfish and stop allowing selfish behavior in others. Set boundaries, with people like this, or better yet, if all possible avoid relationships with people who are takers.

God is a giver, and wants us to be givers. He wants us to appreciate and respect others. Whether it's our parents, grandparents, children, co-workers, spouse, siblings, or friends. We cannot always take, take, take, and never expect to give. It's really about out attitude. We must develop or change our attitude to be more thoughtful of others feelings, resources, and position.

Stop using people, and start thinking about how you make others feel once in awhile. Stop being a taker and start giving something to this world for a change. Set some boundaries in your life with people, and do not enable them to be takers. Most importantly, give something to God. Allow God to work in your life and change your attitude so that you will be more of a giver and less of a taker. Or allow God to work in your life so you don't let people use you or take advantage of you.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.(NIV)