"If you make a sacrifice for someone you care about, it needs to be because you want to, not because you feel obligated or because you fear the consequences of not doing so.
"If your partner is going to make a sacrifice for you, it needs to be because he or she genuinely wants to, not because you’ve manipulated the sacrifice through anger or guilt.
"Acts of love are valid only if they’re performed without conditions or expectations." -- "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading this quote from Mark Manson this morning, I couldn't help but think about our practice of giving Christmas presents. Are they being given without condition, as an act of love and sacrifice, or are they being given with the tacit assumption that I am going to receive something in return?
Similarly, can we learn to receive gifts without feeling an onus to respond in kind or without feelings of guilt?
I have seen such feelings create an obstacle to grace in the church, as people often refuse sacrifices or blessings from others or won't make needs known, because of a pervasive idea that we are expected to respond similarly.
As a pastor once counseled me when I objected to receiving a sacrificial gift, "Don't take my blessing from me. Let me bless you in this way because God has blessed me."
Something to think about as we continue to celebrate the greatest gift of all, the birth of our Savior at Christmas -- a gift we could never repay (and shouldn't feel like we have to... Ephesians 2:8-9).
No comments:
Post a Comment