Do you ever experience days that feel like years? I had one of those days last fall, feeling so exhausted and overwhelmed that I called my friend Lily. I told her how stressed I was and that I hadn’t even had dinner that night, and in less than an hour Lily was sitting across from me on my dorm room floor as I was eating an almond butter sandwich she had made me. I don’t often feel comfortable receiving; it’s humbling to admit I can’t do it all, and it makes me feel needy. I was in a leadership position on campus, but that night I didn’t feel like a leader at all as I sat across from my sweet friend and shared my heart with her. This instance of Lily’s generosity has blessed and impacted me far beyond that one evening. 

In order to accept Lily’s kindness, I had to be willing to receive. Receiving is challenging, especially when we’re in a position of ministry leadership. We can believe (even without fully realizing it) that we need to be the ones constantly giving. But let’s take a moment to look at the passage above. Jesus Himself, the One who came to give everything, received the gift of expensive perfume poured on His holy feet. Let’s pause for a moment and soak in the truth that Jesus received. His act of receiving blessed the recipient.

His receiving showed the people around Him about God and His reception of all people. His receiving was a beautiful testimony to God’s grace and love. If Christ Himself received, why do we shy away from receiving? Jesus allowed that woman to spend significant money on Him; why do we feel that we cannot “inconvenience” anyone by admitting our needs and receiving their gifts? Receiving gifts from others helps us to receive the ultimate gift from God. 

We’re often so oriented toward giving that we forget about receiving, or we feel guilty when we do have to receive. Today, let’s reorient our mindsets of receiving. As we gratefully receive from others, we are building relationships and staying humble. As I sat across from Lily, our friendship was deepened and we both grew closer to God as we talked about life. Being followers of Christ not only means that we give generously, but also means that we receive graciously. Let’s praise the One who models how to receive as we receive joyfully this week.