How To Receive God’s Blessings | Steven Furtick
Reflecting on the Christmas announcement to the shepherds and the story of Christ’s birth, I often think about how rejection, or the fear of it, has prevented me from receiving blessings that God wanted to give me. It’s hard to admit, as it’s easier to blame others for what I didn’t get or convince myself I’m just waiting for God to answer my prayers. However, this Christmas, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on how rejection affects me, and I want to break it down.
Let me share a story. Every Christmas Eve, my grandmother and uncle would visit us. Both have now passed away in the last few years, but I want to tell you about the last time I saw them. They lived only about 200 yards apart on the same piece of land. My uncle called to tell me he was sick and didn’t have much time left. He had kept it a secret from everyone. He was the cool uncle, the one who always had my back. When I ran up a $70 phone bill calling a DJ hotline, he was the one who pulled me aside and helped me prepare to face my dad.
When I went to see him, he was already in bed, and it was sad. I said, “Why didn’t you tell us sooner? We could have visited you earlier.” He was a private person, though. While there, I thought we might also see my grandmother, who was sick as well, but something strange happened. I didn’t want to start this story off heavy, but it’s okay to laugh. Every family has its quirks, and this one’s kind of funny in hindsight.
As we sat with my uncle, my grandmother called. She was talking to my uncle’s girlfriend, and when she heard my name, she said, “Faith and Steven? Oh, God!” I loved my grandmother, and we had a great relationship. She would come every Christmas Eve, and when I was younger, she’d record WrestleMania for me. So, I owed her a lot of gratitude and love. But hearing her say, “Oh, God!” over our visit was shocking. Then she asked, “Are they coming over here?” She didn’t realize we could hear her. My uncle’s girlfriend replied, “I don’t know, Grandmama,” and my grandmother’s response was, “God, I hope not!”
It was awkward, and honestly, we didn’t visit her afterward. I’m not sure I regret it because it was clear we weren’t wanted. My mom and I reflected on it, and she said, “Maybe she didn’t want us to see her in that condition, not that she didn’t want to see us.” She was worried about how we would see her, not about rejecting us. I thought about how often we reject blessings because we don’t want to deal with the mess that comes with them.
That’s what I love about the story in Luke 2. God, in His great love, came to earth as a baby, born in a barn in Bethlehem. That tells me that God is comfortable with stepping into my mess. So, if your life feels like a mess this holiday season—your house, your mind, your relationships, your finances—I want you to know that God is not put off by it. In fact, He is there, ready to step into the mess with you.