Some people are uncomfortable receiving gifts from others. Let me just say...I’m not. If someone offers to pay for lunch, if someone opens a door for me, if someone gives me tickets to see the Dodgers, I don’t say, “I couldn’t possibly accept these.” Instead, I say a genuine, “Thank you,” and I accept. I have friends, though, who have a lot of trouble receiving gifts. They feel uncomfortable and feel like they “owe” the gift-giver or that they need to make themselves worthy of the gift. This is not a struggle that I have.
I can brag that I am not too proud to receive gifts from others, but, on the other hand, I am not always as cognizant of ways that I can meet the needs of others. I am a pretty good receiver, but not a great giver. Some people are poor receivers, but they are active givers, constantly seeing the meeting the needs of others.
Most of us are good at giving or good at receiving, but very few of us are good at both. We probably, unconsciously, feel like we need to choose. Givers get frustrated with the mooching receivers, and receivers get frustrated with the uptight givers.
Does God call us to choose? Does He call us to get up out of our seats and make sure we are giving? Does He call us to rest and relax and simply receive? The answer is that it is not either-or. On Sunday, as we observe Jesus perform one of His most beautiful acts of servanthood, we will see the relationship between giving and receiving.
Dan
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