One of our greatest prosperity teachings is "Give and you shall receive". It's a powerful law. Yet, there's a problem: it doesn't quite work the way we think it will. Or at least it doesn't work as a stand-alone equation. There is something missing.

In the Gospel of Thomas Jesus is with his disciples and they question him: "Should we fast? In what way should we pray? Should we give to charity? From which foods should we abstain?" Jesus responded: "Do not lie. If there is something that you hate, do not do it, for everything is revealed beneath heaven. Nothing hidden will fail to be displayed. Nothing covered will remain undisclosed."

When we are forcing ourselves, straining or coming from scarcity, the law doesn't work because we are not able to truly give. We may think we are doing the right thing or that we will be rewarded spiritually or materially when we tithe or give, but we can't trick the law.

And yet, it is our nature to give; we love to give. If we are unwilling or unable to give, something is obstructing our flow. If we try to give more while we are in this state of scarcity, we often find ourselves empty and even more fearful than before. In the Bible Jesus also says, "Freely ye have received therefore freely give." Are we truly receiving? It is assumed that we know how to receive, and that we are aware of the Source. If we don't have an awareness of this infinite Source and our connection to it, we often live in fear that our supply will dry up.

When we are living in this consciousness of lack, believing our supply is finite, and we then hear that to receive more we have to give more, it drives us deeper into fear. We feel depleted and resentful and are certain that we have nothing more to give.

Before we can move into a giving consciousness, which is where we thrive, we must understand our relationship to God, Spirit, Our Higher Self, as Source. If we are not aware of the Source from which our gifts come, and don't know how to connect and receive from this Source, our desire and ability to give constricts. We receive our life when we listen and follow the inspiration we are given. From this place of freely receiving from Source we effortlessly give by sharing our authentic self instead of our false self.