Not receiving is robbing

I have been in that place where I was in need and I felt like I had no one to turn to.  I remember a day when about 13 years ago, I was out of gas, and didn’t even have $5 to put in the tank.  So, rather than ask anyone for the money I walked the 6 miles to work.

I can come up with a lot of reasons as to why I would… I can make them sound good… I can make myself “right”… but in the end it was just my pride.

And not the pride that is the first thing that comes to mind… the one where you don’t want anyone to see you as a failure… this one was worse…

It was a resentful pride… a pride that said, “I would never take anything from them.”

We have all had that list of them at some point: the people that would be willing to give – as long as it came with an “I told you so.”

But what if they had a change of heart?

What if they really did wanted to give?   What if they would be glad to?  What if they realized…

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35

And what if there chance to receive was up to your allowing them to give?

Things in the Kingdom of God are so completely opposite to the things of the world.  

If we want people to receive from God… we need to expect that they will have opportunities to give.  And I am not just talking about money… but maybe to give of themselves.  And, whether we like it or not… whether our pride or past resentment and feelings… or our assumptions… like it… we may be asked of God to receive from them.

We might have to be humbled first… brought to a place of desperation… a place of asking…

We might find ourselves in circumstances we never thought we could get to… because God needs to use our need in order for them to receive.

If we do not receive from them we rob from them.  We rob the blessing that comes when you give.

We need to learn to look at our times of need as opportunities to be part of God’s plan to knit His family together through His provision.

“Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

And if we are on the end of provision… we should be seeking those to whom God would have us give… so that we might receive.

And now… we have a good argument to make them take it!  If they don’t they are thieves!

And if you rob from man you rob from God.

Don’t be a thief.

Don’t let others be.

Let the economy of the Kingdom drive the currency of our heart.

SDG