Daniel 9:4–10. Psalm 79. Luke 6:36–38.
“For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
It’s a great feeling when things are going our way and we sense a measure of control over our lives. It would be wonderful if peace of mind, joy, and happiness could become permanent features of our day-to-day living. Yet, true joy is not about having all things under our control.
Spiritual joy has nothing to do with anything “going right.” It has everything to do with things going, and going on within you. It's an inherent, inner aliveness. Joy is almost entirely an inside job. Joy is not first determined by the object enjoyed as much as by the prepared eye of the enjoyer.
In today’s gospel reading from Luke, Jesus claims we can have true joy in our lives. While things will not always go our way, and while there is no complete control over every situation in our life, Jesus suggests something experience backs up: we get out of life what we put into it.
While there are certainly exceptions, we generally get from life what we deserve. Give in to laziness and we can expect poor achievement. Never try something new and we stagnate. Keep a closed mind and we remain ignorant. Hurt people and we likely get hurt back in return. Steal and cheat and we are stolen from and cheated. Lie to people we care about and they feel free to lie back to us. On the other hand, as Jesus asserts, “judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.” What Jesus affirms is borne out every day of our lives: “For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
Very often, however, we forget the rule of “like measure.” We expect more from life than we are willing to put in, or we fail to appreciate that all good things in life cost. Many people today, for example, expect something for nothing, and demand more money for less work.
We may be hungry for love, but unconcerned about giving it. We may expect our friends to be there for us, but make excuses for not helping a friend who is in trouble. Most of us want to be understood and forgiven at the drop of a hat, and yet we rarely try to understand where other people are coming from, and may be obstinate in holding grudges. Jesus gives us both encouragement and warning: we get what we give.
Take more mastery over your life with the rule of “like measure.” Give what you hope to get. Fair treatment, peace of mind, love, joy, and happiness can be yours if this is what you yourself are about. Sow good seed, and you will likely reap a good harvest. Do favors, and favors will be returned. Be nice to people, and they will most often be nice to you. Make someone laugh, and you will laugh. Affirm others, and they will feel strength to affirm you. Make others happy, and you will be happy. Be a friend, and you will have friends. Give love, and you will receive it.
“For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
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