Romancing The Rock

It is better to give than receive.

We’ve all heard this quote from Acts 20:35 hundreds of times. It’s true. It always feels good to give and bless someone. It feels great, actually. But, when it comes to receiving, for some reason we feel ebarrassed–like we don’t deserve to be blessed. We say things like “you didn’t have to”, or “I can’t accept that.” And sometimes we really do refuse to receive a blessing or gift from someone.

But do we ever stop to consider that in refusing a gift, we are actually stopping that person from being blessed. We’re not just stopping them from that nice feeling of having given either. We’re holding up a blessing for them in return for their giving. It is one of the ‘supernatural laws’ that God put into place in the Universe. If you give, you will receive. So, when we say no to a blessing, we are effectively stopping up the natural flow of blessing that should come. Like a cork in a bottle.

So, next time someone offers you a gift, or to bless you in some way, try swallowing that impulse to refuse and just say thankyou. Then go and bless someone else in turn. Let’s unstop the bottle and let the blessings flow!

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [Luke 6:38 NIV]