Giving and Receiving

“In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”  (Acts 20:35)

Paul is speaking to the elders of the Church and reminds them of the words of Christ. Jesus saying these words is recorded nowhere in the bible but they must have been familiar words to them for Paul to make this statement. In John’s gospel we are reminded, “There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:24) These words challenge us as many of Christ’s words do. He tells us in order to be first, we must be last; in order to live we must die and in order to be rich we must be poor. He calls us to love our enemies and forgive those who betray us.

Of all of the challenges that Christ calls us to, this one is fairly easy for me. I think my vocations as a mother and as a pediatric nurse help to make it easy. In both of these vocations you are always doing for others. At times I find myself being judgmental of others, wanting to know why they aren’t more giving of their time. For me the struggle is to receive; to not only receive help from others but even to receive love. It has been hard for me to even receive God’s love. Is it hard for me to receive love because for so long I found myself to be unlovable? Is it because I feel unworthy of love? Yet, we are all unworthy of God’s perfect love. It is pure gift and we must receive this gift in order to have life. It is easy for me to hold onto these chains that bind me and keep me stuck in darkness.

It takes courage and humility to come before God with all of our sin and weakness and allow Him to strip us of these things and bring us to a state of grace where we can receive his love without struggling or trying to hide in shame. “Receive my love,” I can hear God speaking these words to me. Once we are willing to receive His love than we can go out and share this love with others. Giving and receiving are both blessings because without receiving His love, we have nothing to give.