You can only give what you have received?

let's look at this passage.

Love your neighbor as yourself. Matt 22: 39 (NIV)


that means, of course, we love ourselves don't we? we eat healthy food,
we exercise, we read, we pray, we take care of ourselves, we know what
we need, we know what we want, we pamper ourselves, we reward
ourselves, etc.

next, love our neighbors like we love ourselves. that is to say, we are
instructed, commanded to do to others what we do to ourselves. that
means, whenever we step out of our home, we put others first.

we give our neighbors what we give ourselves. we are commanded to give
to others. we are instructed to take the initiative to reach out to others.
we are called(no time to think twice) to stretch our hands and say,
how may i help you?


let's look at another passage.

ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door
shall be open unto you. Matt 7:7


this can be best explained as:

You ask and you will receive, you seek and you will find, you knock and
the door shall be open unto you.


this is essentially, take the first step and the next will follow.
take the first step and you will receive.
take the first step and you will find.
take the first step and the door will be open.

in summary, when you take action, you will get/receive.
also, when you give you will receive.