Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’” Luke 14:16-17 NLT
We are all familiar with the Scripture and common saying, “It is better to give than to receive.” Obviously, since Jesus said it and selfishness is one of the great destroyers of life, that is true. But it doesn’t mean that receiving is bad. In fact, learning to receive well is one of the great secrets of life. We often easily turn down invitations because we think we don’t matter that much at an event, we don’t want to inconvenience anyone, we don’t feel we really need what is offered, we don’t have time. You can add to the list. What was your reason for the last time you turned down an invitation?
The truth is that we can miss out on many blessings that will enrich our lives and the ones who invited us by being more willing to receive. It is amazing how often the Scriptures teach about the responsibility and opportunity to respond positively and receive from God and others. Receiving an invitation is a reminder of your worth. It says you are seen, wanted, and welcomed. Spiritually recognizing that you are daily invited into an intimate relationship with God is profoundly important and requires a personal and intentional response.
A proper response to an invitation requires humility. Learning how to receive is the ultimate antidote to pride. Accepting an invitation means acknowledging another person is offering something you need or desire. When you accept an invitation, you surrender some of your own agenda, schedule, and independence in order to share yourself with someone else. It means you are saying, “I value you enough to prioritize this.” Accepting God’s invitation owns your need for grace. God’s invitation is a gift offered to you exactly as you are.
More often than we might like to think, the invitations extended to us are coming from God as opportunities to expand our own lives and usefulness, but we are so busy protecting our priorities we don’t stop to even consider this invitation might be a God-interruption. In this parable of the great feast, many invitees missed out because they let good things, regular responsibilities, crowd out consideration of anything else. They let their daily routines and what they did regularly become more important than time for this relationship. It is easy to walk right past God’s invitations to connect with Him and others because you are rushing to check things off your daily to-do list. Slow down and consider the honor of the invitation.
- God, you know how easy it is for me to be blind to opportunities and invitations You put in my path. Help me slow down and value my relationships with You and others more than my to-do list. My to-be list is far more significant.