Most of us have many acquaintances—those people who acknowledge us, who are friendly, who might even help or go to bat for us. It’s nice to have acquaintances. Most of us have fewer friends. You know the difference, although it might be difficult to put into words because it’s typically individualized. It’s typically something that is experienced. It’s that person who really does pray for you, and who then follows up to see how you are doing and what they can do, and you know they genuinely care. It’s that person who wants to know how that trip turned out, how that dreaded interaction turned out, who wants to share their life with you and assumes you are as interested in them as they are in you. In fact, you know that their actions are out of a genuine love and concern for you rather than how it makes them look in yours or anyone else’s eyes. A friend is someone who has accepted you into their life, and you know how that feels. It feels like family, or how we think family ought to feel. Honestly, I can’t think of many better things than that feeling of being accepted. I hope that when you read this, you will reflect on those relationships, whether it be family, friends, or coworkers, with whom you have that sense of acceptance.

There’s another element to the friendship relationship—receiving. It’s not true friendship unless both receive each other’s expressions of friendship. Relationship is a two-way street.  It’s a sharing of hearts and it is love. It’s a wonderful thing that God has given us—these relationships with people with whom we share life. It’s a wonderful thing that God has given us—to be accepted, and to receive that acceptance. Receiving is not casual, it is not passive. Receiving is an active expression and reciprocation of friendship, love, compassion, and life together. We don’t do these things in order to gain friendship, but because we are friends.

I say all this to then compare it to our relationship with Christ. Christ has accepted you. He loves you and me and cares for each of us in the way that is most appropriate for each of us personally. However, the relationship does not work unless we receive what he has to offer.

The Bible has much to say about receiving what Christ has to offer. For example, in the parable of the sower in Mark 4:1-20, what sets the four soils apart is their receptivity. The first three soils do not produce a harvest because they did not truly receive the seed, or message.  “But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word, welcome it, and produce a crop: 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown” (Mark 1:20).

This parable reminds me of a story I once heard:

“A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious, and somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man’s name embossed in gold. Angry, he rose his voice to his father and said “with all your money, you give me a Bible?” and stormed out of the house.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.

When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father’s important papers and saw the still gift-wrapped Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matt. 7:11, “And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven, give to those who ask Him?” As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL.”

“We have also received an inheritance in Him, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will….” (Ephesians 1:11).

“Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

“For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:8).

“But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name….” (John 1:12).

So many of us are givers, and as givers, we have difficulty receiving. We say, “No, you don’t have to do that.” Or, “No, it’s not necessary, I don’t need anything.” Or “Here, let me do that for you instead.” We have been taught that it’s better to give than to receive. Well, that is biblical, but it doesn’t apply to our relationship with Christ. He is the giver of all good gifts, but those gifts are only good if we receive them. We must receive them to be in relationship with Him.

You have been accepted by Christ. He is offering us good gifts. It might not look like it, but what He has to offer is more lavish, beautiful, generous, and awe-inspiring that we can even imagine. That is what takes faith—to overcome our limited earthly knowledge and experiences to believe what He has promised, and to believe that it is abundantly more and better than we could ever imagine. You are so loved!!! Just open the door, just say “yes” to receive Him, and then live like you believe it.

In Christ,

Judy