Receiving is the Work of God
Learning the Spiritual Discipline of Receiving
God has had me listening in to something new these past several months.
Receiving.
It is becoming the foundation of the next book in my God-Help Series, and I will be honest — it feels almost too simple.
Receiving is the work of God.
Believing and receiving.
We talk often about serving, striving, leading, producing. But what if our primary posture before the Lord is not doing… but receiving?
How Scripture Reveals That Receiving Is Central to Faith
The more I study Scripture, the more I see it everywhere:
• All of His Names reveal what we can receive from Him.
• When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He was teaching them to receive.
• Proverbs invites us to receive wisdom.
• John writes repeatedly about receiving Christ.
This is not passive faith. It is intimate faith. It is the posture of trust.
Let me ask you something gently... When someone gives you a compliment… do you simply receive it? Or do you deflect it? Minimize it? Redirect it?
Our response reveals the condition of our “receiver.”
Receiving is not passive. It is an active posture of trust.
And the quick win?
You can begin today — in the very next interaction you have.
Simple Ways to Strengthen Your Spiritual “Receiver”
Practice Receiving a Compliment — Without Editing It
The next time someone affirms you, simply say: “Thank you.”
No deflecting. No minimizing. No redirecting.
Your response will reveal the condition of your receiver. Let this small moment become a spiritual exercise in receiving what is offered — just as we are invited to receive from God.
Ask: “What Is God Offering Me Today?”
Instead of beginning your day with, “What should I accomplish?”
Begin with: “Lord, what do You want me to receive today?”
Peace? Wisdom? Correction? Encouragement?
This simple shift moves you from striving to believing and receiving — which Jesus called the work of God.
Read Scripture Looking for What You Can Receive
When you open Proverbs, look for wisdom to receive.
When you read about God’s Names, ask what that Name offers you.
When you read John, notice the invitation to receive Christ again and again.
This reframes Bible reading from information gathering to spiritual receiving.
Notice Where You Resist Being Served
When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He was teaching them to receive.
Pay attention this week:
- Do you resist help?
- Do you feel uncomfortable when someone serves you?
- Do you struggle to let others support you?
Receiving often feels vulnerable. That discomfort may be the exact place God wants to grow you.
Replace “I Have To” with “I Get To Receive”
When you feel pressure to perform spiritually — pray better, lead stronger, fix more — pause.
Ask: “What has already been given to me that I can receive instead of manufacture?”
Grace. Identity. Strength. Provision.
This small mental shift creates immediate relief — and aligns you with how God designed the Kingdom to function.
Many Christian leaders, coaches, and faith-driven professionals are strong in responsibility — but underdeveloped in receiving. And that affects how we experience grace, identity, calling, and even abundance.
I often work with leaders and individuals who want to grow in spiritual discernment, Christian leadership development, and Kingdom clarity — not through more striving, but through deeper alignment with how God designed them.
Let’s have some fun discovering what God may be inviting you to receive.
— Pamela