Receiving as Kingdom Currency: Why Trusting God Means Learning to Receive

Jen Weir
Aug 21
3 min read

When we talk about the energetic exchange of money, most conversations highlight giving. Especially in churches, giving gets plenty of airtime. But receiving? That’s a conversation that often gets left behind.

And yet, being on the receiving end is just as sacred. It’s part of the flow.

My Own Struggle With Receiving

When I became a widow, my husband hadn’t left us in the best financial shape. Precious people rushed in with support, gifts, and help—but my response? Guilt and shame.

I carried an “orphan mindset” in the Kingdom of God, believing I had to earn everything and never burden anyone. Every gift felt like proof of my failure. Instead of resting and receiving, I tried to make everything happen on my own—and in the process, I delayed my healing.

The truth is, sometimes the hardest thing is letting someone bless you when you’re in a season of great need. Receiving can feel like weakness. It can stir up shame. It can attack your pride in independence. But God never designed us to live independently—He designed us to live in dependence on Him, and in interdependence with His people.

Why Receiving Is So Hard

If you’ve ever felt resistance rise when someone offered you help, you’re not alone. Here are some of the most common reasons we block receiving:

Deep-Seated Unworthiness: “Why would someone want to help me?” Many secretly believe they don’t deserve kindness, blessing, or support—especially if they haven’t “earned it.” This usually traces back to wounds, shame, or performance-driven identity.
Guilt for Not Giving Back: “I don’t want to owe anyone.” Some struggle because they can’t immediately reciprocate. They forget that receiving graciously is a gift in itself.
Fear of Appearing Weak or Needy: “They’ll think I can’t handle my life.” In a culture that idolizes self-sufficiency, admitting need can feel like a confession of failure.
Pride in Independence: “I’ll figure it out myself.” Independence looks noble, but often it’s pride—or fear of disappointment—masquerading as strength.
Childhood or Cultural Conditioning: “Don’t be a burden. Handle your own business.”These messages can make accepting help feel selfish or shameful, even when it’s healthy and right.
Past Trauma Around Receiving: If “help” in the past came with strings attached—control, manipulation, or conditional love—receiving can feel unsafe.
Misunderstood Spirituality: “I’m trusting God to provide” (while rejecting the provision He sends through His people). Forgetting that God often uses people as His vessels blocks the very blessing He’s trying to send.
Shame: Especially in financial or emotional hardship, receiving can feel like exposure. “Everyone will see I’ve failed.”

God’s Heart in Receiving

The very first thing God ever did was give. And Scripture makes it clear: we are blessed so we can bless. But here’s the catch—blessing requires receivers. If no one receives, the flow is broken.

Refusing to receive doesn’t just block your blessing—it blocks the giver’s joy too. When someone gives from love or obedience to God, and we shut them down with an “I’m fine,” we rob them of the joy of sowing into good soil.

Receiving requires humility, and God delights in humility. It’s letting someone wash your feet after you’ve been the one scrubbing for so long. It’s saying “yes” to community, to care, and to love.