My sister gave me a sweet compliment. Not being good at receiving those I sort of just ignored her. I never even acknowledged her or the sweet compliment.
“She said, “You can’t accept it can you?” I laughed. She laughed. And then I said, “Ok! Thank you!” after we both made a joke out of it. I didn’t think a lot about it until this morning when I was working on memorizing a scripture verse.
John 14:27 says – Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled or fearful.
Studying and memorizing that verse, a few things crossed my mind and grabbed my heart.
The act of receiving something elevates the giver. We must humble ourselves, open our hearts, hands, and minds to be the recipient. Our pride must decrease. A simple act of receiving makes us vulnerable for a moment. That’s ok! It makes us human. It shows we are human.
How rude of me – and insensitive – to ignore and make a joke of my sister’s sweet compliment. I had a choice to elevate her goodness in that moment. But, instead I chose to ignore, joke, and pass it off instead of dropping my pride, humbling myself, and acknowledging her goodness with a simple “thank you”.
It is an eye-opening scripture when you sit and ponder it. Allow it to soak in a bit. Jesus is peace, he brings peace, he delivers peace. He doesn’t give like the world does. So whether it is a simple compliment from someone or a gift from Christ, we elevate the giver when we humbly receive.
Jesus gave us peace. He left it with us. A gift. It cannot be earned. Only humbly received. How sweet. How powerful! Is your heart in the position to accept? To truly receive?
Today, friends, open your heart, hands, and mind to receive what He left for us. He is unlike any other. He doesn’t give to us like any other. He is Jesus – THE giver! His gift of peace is a promise and He is faithful. This season, you have a choice – embrace receiving.
A smile – A simple gift- A prayer – A piece of wisdom – Peace – A hug…. So many wonderful things. God loves you SO much and he WANTS, he DESIRES that you accept ALL of his gifts. Position yourself to be wowed by his wonder.
I am with you. I am a giver. I truly believe that one of my love languages is gifting. So I’m naturally gifted with the gift of giving. That was a mouthful! So receiving truly is so hard for me. I am learning to EMBRACE receiving. ESPECIALLY this season. My sweet-and-spicy momma passed away this past January, and this was my first holiday season without her. I can so very easily retreat, isolate, and sit in my own grief BUT I know that will not serve me or anyone else around me. I am intentionally, and while it is not easy, I am purposefully choosing peace and joy this holiday – both gifts given to me, and you, by Jesus.
How do we receive? How do we humble ourselves? How do we accept?
PAUSE! Slowdown. We move too fast and prevent ourselves from seeing what is happening. We don’t give God the space to BE Him! Slow down. Pause when someone – or Jesus – is giving you something.
RECOGNIZE! In the pause, we give Him space to talk, to direct, to guide. Recognize the giver.
ACCEPT! Receiving means we are open to what someone else has for us. It causes us to be in a passive position. Simply breathe and whisper “I accept” to yourself. The act of saying “I accept” is a powerful, amazing, and freeing moment. Accepting elevates the giver.
YIELD! – This means to ‘give way’. Yielding will open you up to a freedom you’ve never felt before. It positions you to even more. When He can trust us with a little, He can trust us with a lot. Yielding is an opening. It is growth, and it is beautiful.
So PRAY = what a fun acronym – it means to PAUSE – RECOGNIZE – ACCEPT – YIELD. This season, position yourself to receive with joy and to elevate the giver.
Let’s pray:
Lord, you are so sweet. You are so kind. You are so full of awe and wonder. Thank you for loving us so much that you freely give. You give to us what is yours! How wonderful you are. I pray that we open ourselves up to receive the gifts you give and to receive the promises you promise. We miss out on so much because we hang on to our pride in receiving. You desire to lavishly love on us. Help us to drop any pride preventing us from being humble and vulnerable. Help us to realize that receiving your promises and gifts elevate you. Finally, Jesus, plant inside of us the trait of yielding to you. Thank you for your son, our life, and for your presence – always. – Amen
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think receiving—whether compliments, help, or God’s gifts—can feel harder than giving for so many of us?
- Can you recall a time when you deflected or minimized a compliment or kindness? What do you think was happening internally in that moment?
- The devotional says, “Receiving elevates the giver.” How does that idea shift the way you view accepting from others—or from God?
- Which part of the PRAY acronym—Pause, Recognize, Accept, or Yield—do you struggle with the most? Why do you think that is?
- What might it look like practically for you to “pause” this season instead of rushing past moments God may be trying to give you something?
- What is one gift—spiritual or tangible—you believe God may be offering you this season that you’ve been hesitant to receive?
- How can we create a culture where it’s just as safe to receive as it is to give? What would that change in our relationships?