Receiving versus Grasping
Richard Jones
Recently the press has made allegations that Pavarotti’s marriage was on the rocks prior to his demise. They also assert that his widow is locked in a legal battle with his daughters over the tenor’s assets. It seems that Hulk Hogan’s 23-year marriage to Linda Hogan is also in ruins, with some suggesting a divorce of convenience to protect assets from litigation. How about Anna Nicole Smith and her marriage to the billionaire J. Howard Marshall, 63 years her senior, and the grieving widow’s ensuing legal battle with his son over J. Howard’s fortune? Isn’t it amazing what extremes we will go to secure assets and gain inheritance? We might not be brooding or arguing over millions or billions, but the heart reflects the man and at its core inheritance is a heart issue.
Similar attitudes and their consequences surface in Christians circles every week; this church splitting, that leader leaving, people seeking position and power, the discontent going from church to church or ministry to ministry demanding attention and recognition, people burnt out slaving in Christian service, angry people demanding or tired people slaving for their ever elusive inheritance. The problem is that in Father’s house if you try to take your inheritance before its time then you will ultimately lose it, and if you try to earn it then the harder you try the farther it will seem from your grasp. The late Jack Frost would point to the many ministries inciting us to claim our inheritance now, and then ask his listeners to show him someone who had received it and was living in it.
The problem is that the majority of the human race is living as spiritual orphans, not just outside the church but also many of us within. Orphans do not have any inheritance coming to them so they have to go out and fight for and grab all that they can get for themselves. In Luke 15 we find two sons living as orphans, one opts to take all that is coming to him and to spend it on himself, while the other is slaving in the field trying to earn what he regarded as his birthright. The father’s response to the latter was: “My son…everything I have is yours” (Luke 15:29,31) - even when everything was already his, the inheritance eluded him because his motivation mirrored that of his younger sibling. Both sons had orphan hearts.
Of late, Father has gently shown me the brokenness of my own orphan heart. I realize that I have fought for position, power and for status, that I have longed for others to acknowledge me and recognize my ministry. That I have served out of a need to be needed (Notice the emphasis on me, my and I…) These orphan attitudes have not been overtly obvious, rather they have been a subtle undercurrent, an almost indiscernible flavoring, tainting my leadership, teaching, working-relationships and friendships. Please forgive me if you have been an unwitting recipient - In my blindness Father is helping me to see and to let go.
All this time my hands have been tightly closed, my fingers grasping to take hold, straining to secure that which I believed to be rightfully mine; that which would somehow make me feel complete. But Father’s inheritance cannot be taken it can only be received, it cannot be earned it is only given. True sons and daughters do not have to fight for or earn inheritance. As we position ourselves as children of God, living in submission founded on love, rich inheritance will simply flow. I remember my step-father saying to me one day; “I hold everything with open hands, if Father wants to take things out or to put them in he has free access. If our hands are clenched shut to prevent him removing anything, by default we simultaneously exclude him from putting anything into them.” The reality is that it all belongs to Father anyway and no one is going to steal it out of His hands - we do not have to grasp and clench, we can let go, we can have open hands, living in the eternal security of our Father’s house and presence.
Jesus is our shining example, the one who did not count equality with God something to be grasped, instead humbling himself and consequently being exalted by Father (Phil 2:6-9). We are co-heirs with Christ but the inheritance cannot be taken or earned, only received by grace as we become like him, living in humble submission to Father’s heart and purposes.
Richard Jones is a long time missionary to Malaysia and Indonesia. For information on his ministry email fathersloveministry@mac.com
His web page :http://web.mac.com/ridwan/Fatherslove/Welcome.html
4 users commented in " Receiving Versus Grasping "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackThanks a lot for regularly sending me your articles, which really help me a lot in my spiritual journey and growth.
God bless your family and ministry.
That is an awesome article! Such a peaceful thing to receive vs. grasping. I love the messages you share on the Father’s Love. They are all good reminders of our Father’s unmerited favor in our lives. Thanks!
My first time to receive a message and it is very timely.I am preparing a message for our church on Fatherhood and, with your permission, include ‘orphan hearts’ in the presentation.
Thank you and GOD bless.
This is an excellent article. I had always tried to grasp things with a closed fist, i.e. trying to control people and circumstances in my life to feel secure and safe. There is such peace in putting my life and circumstances in God’s hands.
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