by Yvonne Allen
Receiving gifts is a huge blessing. The Father loves to bestow gifts on His children. James said, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” 1 God gives good gifts, and we are meant to receive them cheerfully—gratefully—so our joy may be full.
So receiving is good. But Jesus taught us, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” 2 This may be one of the most undervalued verses in the Bible as it holds an incredible key that unlocks the heart of the Father within us.
Consider that Jesus said it was better—makarion in Greek, which means happy—to give; some translations say “blessed” or “a far greater blessing.”
When we give, there is great joy and happiness involved. If you have ever found just the perfect gift for someone you love, you know that rush of anticipation I am talking about. There is an exhilaration at the very thought of them opening it, and you get an incredible high from the prospect of bringing them delight.
This feeling increases as you wrap the gift and plan the details of the surprise. Every cell in your body gets riled up and waits in anticipation. The excitement builds, and there is no holding it back. It seems as if your heart is overwhelmed and about to burst until the moment when the gift is given.
Then it happens—you give the gift, and the surprise is revealed! The look on their face, the sparkle in their eyes, and the lilt of their laughter are all you desire from them. It is priceless!
God told Abraham that through him, all the families of the earth would be blessed. From the beginning, God wired us to give. His DNA runs through us; therefore, being a blessing to others is a natural expression of the goodness of God flowing out of us. Giving sparks joy in our hearts.
It is a feeling too large to be explained or contained by mere words. It must be experienced in order to be understood.
“Is this normal?” I ask God, “Or is this just me? Does giving freely always feel this incredible?”
He responds, “Child, now you have a little glimpse of what I feel.” I sense His joy, and I am caught up by His delight over me.
“Father, it truly is better to give than it is to receive,” I say to Him, peace flooding my soul.
I hear His rich laughter as He tells me, “Now you understand that I can’t wait for you to discover all the surprises and gifts I have for you.”
My mind lights on a verse from Proverbs, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” 3 I consider what fun it was when I planned a treasure hunt for my children. The joy of procuring the perfect items, the delight in creating clues for them that only they would understand, as I carefully hid the treasures for them to discover one by one, each more meaningful and delightful than the one before.
Watching them search and find each gift is a profound example, if just a glimpse, of how the Father feels when we move through the rich treasures He has placed for us to find. He conceals the revelation of His Word in the hiding place of His glory, and our honor is revealed by how thoroughly we search out the deeper meaning of all He says. 4
Receiving is incredible. It brings God glory when we receive and value the good gifts He bestows on us.
Giving is better. It multiplies joy to glory when we participate in God’s divine nature and give good gifts to others as He does to us.
You are blessed to be a blessing. What gift can you give today?
1 James 1:17, NASB.
2 Acts 20:35b, TPT.
3 Proverbs 25:2, NASB.
4 From Proverbs 25:2, TPT.
© 2022 Yvonne Allen. All Rights Reserved.