Unless you receive His kingdom as a child you cannot enter it.
"Give us today our daily bread"
- Jesus, Matthew 6:11
"Blessed are the spiritually poor, the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them"
- Jesus, Matthew 5:3
"Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it."
- Jesus, Matthew 18:3
A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.
- Jesus, John 3:27
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:17
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
1 Timothy 6:17
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
John 14:16-17
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance
Acts 2:1-47
Why spend an entire week learning how to receive? Because we do it so poorly or not at all.
The most important thing to know about receiving is that God provides. He is known by the title: "God the Provider" (Jehovah-Jireh). Abraham called God by this name when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac. Gen 22
God provides. He pours out blessings because we are his child and he is our Father. Good fathers love and provide for their children no matter how well behaved or ill-mannered.
Fathers love giving gifts to their children. Even more Fathers love to see children respond with sincere gratitude and generosity. I love to see my daughter give freely to other children. My daughter is a distributor of my wealth. From her perspective my wealth is limitless and she can give freely. She doesn't need to store up for herself because for all she knows the tap will never run dry.
God wants us to be his distribution network. He gives to us and we give to others, that's healthy. For this to work we have to see God as provider and in response we are receivers.
God offers us gifts, not trade. Forget about the notion that God gives prosperity for good behavior: If you are good He'll make it rain so your crops grow - that isn't how he works. It rains on the good and the bad. Likewise God isn't punishing us for poor life choices, poor life choices are their own reward. Touch a hot stove and get burned. The burn isn't God's punishment it's just the result of touching a hot stove.
Don't confuse God's discipline with God's provision. God provides for everyone no matter our spiritual state. But His discipline and the growth that follows is reserved for those He has made alive. Dead things don't grow. The spiritually dead won't grow no matter how much discipline is offered. The LORD disciplines the one He loves - Hebrews 11:6
God wants to fill us beyond our capacity so that we give to others out of the overflow. We have been blessed so that we can bless to others. God gives us more than we need so that we can give to others more than they need.
23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good;
the expectation of the wicked in wrath.
24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
and one who waters will himself be watered.
26 The people curse him who holds back grain,
but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.
28 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.
Proverbs 11:23-26,28
Right view: God gave this. He is good. I receive freely, I give freely.
Consider an economy of trade. When we trade we close the relationship after the exchange takes place - we go our separate ways. We feel entitled to what we've purchased and we get sore when our purchase doesn't match our expectations. On the occasion that someone gives it comes with an attitude of pride and expectations on the receiver.
Compare trade with God's economy. God gives, we receive and redistribute. This leads to ongoing relationships. We're continuously dependent on God to supply. We feel appreciative and grateful to Him because we know we receive beyond what we deserve. When we pass the blessing on we give from a posture of humility. We as givers are no more worthy those who receive from us.
"When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." -Jesus, Luke 14:12-14
Jesus tells a story of a man who took his excess from God and built a bigger warehouse for himself. As soon as the rich man made that decision God took his life. This is a cautionary tale. Don't be that guy.
Moochers give healthy receivers a bad name. Moochers are the result of unhealthy attitudes and choices: laziness, selfishness, aimlessness, lack of purpose, fear of limitations etc. Mooching is birthed from bad and produces bad. They make it difficult for people with legitimate needs. Moochers leave such a destructive wake that honest people don't want the possibility that they could be identified as moochers. Few people are truly willing to see themselves as receivers because of a superficial similarity to moochers. The difference is in the heart.
The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; Psalm 37:21
We have access to God's unlimited resources. Receive from Him. Give to others.
This is a perception issue.
Where do you acquire resources? If your supply is based on you, your efforts, energy and strength then you have a limited supply. The result is stinginess and fear.
However since your supply is from God, and He is infinite, then your supply is unlimited. The result is unconditional generosity.
As God's children we have a choice to be nourished by his provision or to find sustenance elsewhere. What God offers is healthy to us to grow. Other stuff, not so much.
It's important for us to recognize what God provides. It allows us to respond appropriately. If we fail to recognize what God has done we will fail to respond to what he has done, when that happens how can there be life in us?
Working toward common goals is one of the defining characteristics of a team. When individuals work toward their own objectives, it becomes impossible to be productive and compete with organizations that are more goal-focused. This means that clear communication and consistent goals are essential to team building. Business leaders are responsible for ensuring that all employees understand the organizational culture, overriding goals and specific personal objectives at the time of hiring. Managers need to monitor team development and individual progress to keep common goals in the minds of workers.
Prayer time: What goal do you have that may require a team to accomplish?