If a beautiful package wrapped in the most luxurious paper , fine ribbons and gorgeous fluffy bow arrived on your door step marked, “To My Beautiful Daughter-Love God” would you not tear it open and receive it with the best part of your heart? I know I would without even thinking twice about it! Number one, I am all about being blessed by my Heavenly Father and number two, I am a sucker for presents especially one’s wrapped in beautiful paper!
However, there are so many times that God does try to give us gifts throughout everyday of our lives that sometimes we find hard to receive. What do I mean by this? Well, I hear so many times from women in general that it is hard for them to receive compliments or even receive help from others. I can be that way too at times. Sometimes, my own husband is trying to compliment me on my looks or talents and I tend to want to find every reason why I am not worthy of it. Do you know what I mean? Has that ever happened to you? Has someone tried giving you a compliment or a positive gesture of kindness and love and you were not able to receive it for whatever reason? Maybe you said, “Thank you” but your heart and mind said otherwise. Why do we do this?
Proverbs 23:7 says, “As he thinks within himself, so he is” How we react or behave flows straight from what we believe about ourselves or even others. I’ve been around people who I’ve tried to encourage, compliment and love on and not matter what I do, they are never able to receive it. It saddens me because I know that my actions towards them are very sincere and more so, I know God wants to just love on them! I’ve often wondered how that makes God feels. How would you feel if you took the time to buy a special present, wrap it in beautiful paper and then hand deliver it, only to have it rejected? Well, in a way this is what we do when we can’t receive the love God wants to pour on us through others. We need to have a heart that is able to receive all that God wants to bless us with. I would even dare say this could even flow into those places in us where we have a hard time with people doing nice things for us by serving us with their time, talents and other servant gifts. Our pride and Satan’s lies keep us from God’s blessings. Do you want this for yourself or even for others around you to feel?
What do you think about yourself? How is it affecting your relationships around you? Today, make a choice to receive all the presents and love God wants to shower down on you from the smallest hug, to a great compliment, to a meal served for you just because. Make it a point to be thankful that these are small gifts, packaged and sent via – Heaven just for you from a Father who wants you to know that without a shadow of a doubt that you are worth it!
Kimchi, this one spoke to me today. I am horrible at accepting compliments and help. Today someone called me and offered to send her husband and son over to dig me out. I thanked her but said I could take care of it. I didn't want to be a bother. By the time I was at the end of my drive way I was cursing myself wondering why I never say yes. what took me close to 2 hours would have taken them mayby 30 minutes and probably would have made them feel good too. And it has never occured to me when I say, "thanks but not thanks" that I am rejecting a gift and how that makes the giver feel...I will try to consider that from now on. Thanks, Amy
ReplyDeleteI'm with you Amy! I've done that so many times too because I had to be this strong independent woman but in the end it was God trying to help and love me or someone else trying to. I stole their blessing from them that day, you know what I mean....thanks for sharing!:)
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