{"id":5222,"date":"2019-12-15T09:00:30","date_gmt":"2019-12-15T15:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/?p=5222"},"modified":"2019-09-30T20:49:46","modified_gmt":"2019-10-01T01:49:46","slug":"choose-to-receive-graciously","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=5222","title":{"rendered":"Choose to Receive Graciously"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Choices change lives\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Barbara Dahlgren<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Bible\nsays it is more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20:35). Although it is more\nblessed to give, there are times when it is blessed to receive as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some\npeople are too proud to receive anything from anybody. They don\u2019t want to feel\nobligated to another person. They don\u2019t want others to think they need anything.\nSome of these people are generous givers, but don\u2019t know how to receive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some\npeople can\u2019t even receive a sincere compliment. Instead of just graciously\nsaying, \u201cThank you,\u201d they make up excuses as to why they don\u2019t deserve the\ncompliment. It\u2019s as if they think if they accept the compliment, they aren\u2019t\nhumble enough. Or they immediately try to reciprocate with another compliment\nwhich is usually insincere because they are only reciprocating, not really\ngiving a genuine compliment. Let\u2019s face it\u2014 some days our hair really does look\ngood so when some bald guy says, \u201cHey, I like your hair style!\u201d we don\u2019t need\nto say, \u201cI like yours, too!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as\ngiving should be part of our lives, so should receiving. When we can\u2019t receive\ngenuine, heartfelt gifts, appreciation, help, or compliments from others, we\nrob them of blessings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus was\nthe greatest giver. He gave up His life for us. But did you know Jesus knew how\nto receive as well. When Mary anointed His feet with expensive perfume, He\naccepted it graciously (John 12:1-8). The disciples were shocked because the\nointment was worth a lot of money and could have been sold to help the poor. Yet,\nJesus accepted this gift in the spirit it was given. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus\ntaught the disciples a lesson in serving others when He insisted on washing\ntheir feet at the Last Supper (John 13:14-15). However, this was a lesson in\nreceiving as well. Peter did not want Jesus to wash his feet, but Jesus said\nthat unless Peter received this act of service from Him, Peter could have no\npart of Him (John 13:4-10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God has\ngifts for us to receive, but sometimes we refuse to accept them. God wants us\nto receive forgiveness of sin. We already have it, but we need to acknowledge\nand receive it. Unless we do we will never be able to experience the fullness\nof a relationship with Him.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider this<\/strong>\u2026 Jesus could have fed the\nmultitudes with manna from heaven. After all, it had been done before. Instead,\nhe let a little boy give up his lunch and share what he had with others (John\n6:5-14). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One final thought<\/strong>\u2026 We should always give with an\nopen heart. We need to learn to receive the same way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n