People who take charge of their lives and make an effort to not burden others are admired. Such independence is admirable. However, if every individual in need in the world—which includes all of us at some point—refused assistance, nobody would have the chance to do so.
When we read Jesus' words in Acts 20:35, "It is more blessed to give than to receive," we have a tendency to just think about the blessing of giving. Although our Lord did not suggest it was improper to accept a gift, he did indicate that our main focus should be on giving rather than receiving. Giving and receiving are both admirable, gratifying, and even required in reality.
Perhaps praising receiving in this age of greed is hazardous. When given this less significant but nonetheless valuable blessing, however, many earnest and well-intentioned people balk. They retort, "Oh, I can't take that!" or "You really shouldn't!"
Why are we this way? Personally, I've come to the conclusion that it frequently stems from a desire to not feel dependent on others, or from pride, or from a want to be in control. However, these covert tendencies are egotistical and go against the teachings of the One who declared, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
Perhaps we should practice being a gracious recipient in order to allow others to benefit from our generosity.
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