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The Other Half The Other Half
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I’m sure that we are all familiar with Acts 20:35 – “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Paul says that Jesus himself said this) and I am certainly not going to argue with scripture! However, I have been thinking quite a lot lately about being good at receiving. Some people just find it very hard to receive a gift. My mother was a very generous and loving person but whenever we gave her something she found it quite difficult. She’d usually say something like – “You shouldn’t have spent so much on me” or “ I really wasn’t expecting anything” or “It is lovely but would you mind if I changed it?” I think these sort of remarks often come from our own insecurities, our feelings of unworthiness, or simply the thought – “please don’t make a fuss.” If our nature is like this, do we find it difficult to accept gifts from our heavenly father? I think some of us do – I think we need to learn that although “it is more blessed to give than receive”, it is also VERY blessed to receive from God. Let us just look at some of the underlying reasons for our discomfort at being given gifts. First of all we think that we are unworthy – and when it comes to receiving from God we are! But He doesn’t mind! In fact, if we think we deserve anything the “gift” turns into “rights” and we know that God loves to give without reason, other than his unconditional love for each of us. We might feel insecure in that love – unsure how it can be true. Perhaps we need to re-read 1 John 4:7–19, a wonderful passage about the love of God, and the final verse reminds us “we love because He first loved us”. Again in Romans 8:35-39 we are assured by Paul that nothing can separate us from the love of God. As for not wanting a fuss! – we’re talking about God here – He who created heaven and earth, and everything within. He who knows everything that is – and everything that is to be. He who has a plan for you and a plan for me – and knows that we will need help to fulfil that plan. Guess what? He wants to help us get it right. He wants to enable us to do all He wants – and to be the person He created us to be. And so He gives us gifts! He wants to bless us for two reasons – one, because He loves us, and two, so that we might be a blessing to others. I think a little “fuss” is called for – I want to tell everyone how great our God is! I pray that you will revel in His love and grow in knowledge of His plan for your life. I pray that you will expect and receive unexpected gifts from God, and that you will receive them with joy, thanksgiving and a desire to share them with others. And to Him be the glory – great things He will do. © Sue Whitehead
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