Understanding the Universal Law of Giving and Receiving

Gifting has opened many hearts to enormous gratitude and compassion by allowing people to give without wanting something back in return. This opening of the heart causes grace to flow in many unexpected ways as we recognize the abundance and oneness that comes from knowing there is more than enough to give, not just receive.

“Imagine for a moment what will happen to our world as more of us start giving without wanting anything back in return. Picture a world filled with love and compassion and people are helping each other for no reason—a world where everyone has more then enough. The possibilities are endless and easily within our reach. Positive change begins with you. Start practicing giving today and notice what happens.” - Hale Dwoskin

Giving has been called the First Law of All Creation. It has also been said that there is a Universal Law of Giving and Receiving, or that giving and receiving are the same. To clarify, quoting Kathleen Rainbow, “For anything to function effectively, there needs to be some kind of structure. There are laws that govern our universe called Universal Laws. These laws apply to everything, everywhere at all times in our universe. These laws enable our universe to function in an orderly fashion. Without these laws there would be chaos in the universe. By studying, understanding, cooperating, and applying these Universal Laws in our daily lives we can lead the most successful, fulfilling, abundant, joyful and healthy life possible.”

In today’s modern society, human consciousness is awakening to a primary law governing the creation of abundance; 'Giving and Receiving are one and the same. To give is to receive. To receive is to give.' A conviction of universal oneness remains at the heart of this thought system, thus when we give, we do not lose what we give, rather, we receive more of what we give. Lester Levenson, the inspiration behind The Sedona Method, used to say, “In the end, you discover that the only one you have ever helped is you.” So when we give peace, we receive more peace. When we give money, we receive more money. And when we give love, we receive more love. When we accept as a core belief that giving and receiving are the same, we thrive.

Whenever we give with no expectation of receiving something back in return, we are allowing the energy of the universe to flow naturally and powerfully, coming back to us many times over and in many ways. But when a gift is given to acquire something, this is really barter and similar to commerce. This attention on receiving, or getting something back, creates unseen blocks or resistance to receiving. An attitude of “getting” creates a blocked-up condition, a paralyzed state. As long as we maintain a desire for “getting” and an attitude of “getting,” we shut out the spirit of giving, and this limits the flow of good that can come to us. When we are truly giving, we are not eager for of any type of payback. If we simply give to get, we cause the flow to stop. When we give from the heart and with no expectations, we will receive much more.

It was once pointed out to me that, ‘In Philippians 4:15-19, Paul speaks to the church about the power and benefits of giving and receiving, telling them that this financial would be like opening up a debit and credit account for each of them, creating an open door for God almighty to meet every need that they have.’

And the School of Metaphysics shares, ‘Life is a series of moments. The quality of your life is totally determined by the choices you make in how you spend your time. To give a gift signifies time well spent. It is effort well spent that returns to us many fold in the spirit with which the gift was given. This is according to Universal Law.’

We can see from these two poles apart, cultural viewpoints that the common thread expressed is that giving opens up the door to receiving. When we give and expect nothing in return, the Universal Law of Giving and Receiving allows us to receive something in return when we are giving via a constant exchange of energy between us and the universe. This vibrant energy defines one beautiful truth of our existence.

What is Legal about Cash Gifting?

I was recently invited to give a large gift of cash to a stranger. This is not the first time I have been involved in a gifting endeavor. I decided to do some research into the “cash leveraging system” to see if this form of “gifting” is legal or not. Please note: this article only shares what I have discovered that makes a gifting program legal. It does not address the intricacies of what could make such an activity illegal, albeit I give a general idea of that. There is plenty of material available to make a case either way. If you are considering a gifting program with like-minded people, be aware of the gifting laws. Wikipedia has a good overview. The U.S. gifting rules are found in the IRS Tax Code, Title 26, Sections 2501-2504 and 2511.

This article is for informational purposes only, so for you who are thinking to join a gifting activity, I urge you to do your own research to satisfy yourself as to whether or not you think participation in one of these gifting programs is legal. Please be conscious that gifting done in an illegal way has been successfully prosecuted in a number of states. The tax law does not make gifting legal or illegal; it simply tells you the tax consequences of the arrangement. Be aware that calling it a gift doesn't necessarily make it one. When determining the tax effects, the tax law will look at whether the intent was truly to donate when the gift was given.

All of this said, I will now share what I am seeing has been upheld for keeping gifting legal. Across the board, those people whose verbiage is focused on helping people and the giving of the gifts from the heart, wanting to do something wonderful for someone else without expecting anything in return, seem to be the ethical gifting programs. Those who focus on the big cars and big houses are obviously involved in gifting for the purpose of “making money.”

Of course, when someone decides to get into gifting, they know that eventually it may be their turn to be a receiver, but this is not the answer that a judge will align with should someone in a gifting program end up in court. Truly, gifting means that which is given is a gift. For example, when you give a toy to a child for her birthday, you don’t expect to get anything back in return, right? So when you give a gift of money, likewise you should not expect to receive anything in return! This is what a true gift is; this is the heart and soul of legal gifting.
In my own research and discovery, I have found many folks who are promoting gifting programs are “stepping over the line” with the way they are publicizing their programs. In other words, they are emphasizing this activity as a way to make lots of money.

If you are thinking of getting involved in a gifting activity, understand that gifting is not a business. Period. There is no selling of anything, no solicitation, it’s not a commercial enterprise, there is no company, it is not an investment, it is not conducted for profit, it is not network marketing or MLM, there are no public gatherings and there is no service provided. If you see a website inviting you to a home-based business, and if it turns out that the “business” is gifting, I advise you to run the other way.

If you are already involved in a gifting program, take a look at the words that you are using when inviting people to participate or that are used on a webpage that is included in your system. Terminology used in a gifting activity are very important – they can be the fine line between keeping it legal or not. Below is a sampling of words to never use as well as words that should be used. This is by no means a complete list.

This is a sampling of words that are not used in a gifting activity: Buy in, Downline, Earn, Earnings, Getting paid, Guarantee, I made, Income, Investment, Make, Make money, Multiply your money, Net, Paid earnings, Paid out, Pay, Payout, Profit, Purchase, Recruit, Return on your money, Sign up, Sponsor, Sure bet, Took in, Upline, You will make

This is a sampling of the words used in a gifting activity: Activity, Associates, Care, Community, Constitutional Rights, Family, Fellow man, Free association, Gift, Gifter, Give, Giving, Golden, Helping others, I gave, I have gifted, I have received, Invitation, Invite, Invited by, Kindness, Nice people, Participant, Participation, Receive, Register your gift, Sharing

Gifting has been used in cultures around the world throughout history. In today's modern world, be persistent with your research so you know what you are doing and can participate ethically.

Chava LeBarton taught fine art for 15 years, co-founded an internet animation software company and is a commercial real estate investor. She currently empowers others to realize real prosperity while helping others do the same. Visit http://www.HighwayToAbundance.com.