Receiving Thanks 

Giving and receiving are inseparable.  they are like opposite sides of the same coin.  Think about it, if someone isn't offering a gift then it is impossible to receive a gift.  You may believe that this goes without saying, that it is self-evident, however the reverse is true and not necessarily easy to apply.  Someone may offer a gift and in a variety of ways the intended receipient may not receive the gift.  In essence without receiving, the gift remains only an intention and the failure to receive it prevents the intention from being fully realized.

From childhool we learn not to receive gifts for a variety of reasons.  We are taught that to receive a gift will put you in a state of indebtedness to the giver, so to be free we are taught not to take anything but to earn everything.  We are also taught that if we are given something and keep it than it is expected that we reciprocate with a gift of comparable value.  these teachings are not altogether bad, we certainly don't want to raise children to have a sense of entitlement, to believe that they are somehow owed a standard of living.  We want to instill in children an effective work ethic but in many ways our efforts in this direction make it difficult for us to truly receive.  And maybe the greatest difficulty we have is receiving the thanks that God is continually lavishing upon us.  Have you ever really heard God's voice giving you thanks?  He is!