“What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7, ESV)

There is a really interesting story in Luke, where a rich young aristocrat approaches Jesus and says, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18, ESV) In other words, “Am I good with God?”

Jesus knows this man’s heart — that it is infested with greed. So, Jesus says, “Tell you what: Give everything away and follow me.” In other words, there is a treatment for greed. It’s generosity. So, give, and your heart will become healthy. 

Of course, the man doesn’t want to give, because he’s greedy. Jesus is basically saying, “If you want to get rid of the greed in your heart, give.” And presumably the guy is saying, “Jesus, I would give if you would fix the greed in my heart.” Do you see the problem?

Imagine if your doctor said, “Your heart is in danger, but it’s still treatable without surgery. What you need to do is exercise every day.” Now imagine you respond, “But doctor, I can’t exercise. I feel tired and lethargic all the time. Exercise is too hard. Fix my heart and then I’ll exercise.” And the doctor would say, “No, you need to exercise to fix your heart.”

Do you get the dilemma? If so, here’s how it applies to our theme for this week: You and I have a lot in common with the rich, young ruler in the story, not necessarily because we’re rich (or greedy), but because we’re graspers. We grasp for control in life, and once we find a little bit of control, in whatever form, we don’t like to let go. That’s the great problem with our hearts — we grip so tightly that we have trouble submitting to God’s transformative will.

Robert Mulholland says it like this: “Graspers powerfully resist being grasped by God. Manipulators strongly resist being shaped by God. Controllers are inherently incapable of yielding control to God. Spiritual formation is the great reversal: from being the subject who controls all other things to being a person who is shaped by the presence, purpose and power of God in all things.”

Most of us are graspers by nature. That’s the bad news. The good news is there is exercise that can change your heart. It’s the spiritual equivalent of releasing a clenched fist into an open hand. When you do that on a spiritual level, you are releasing control of your life and saying, “Lord, I’m yours. More than anything else I can do today, I just want to experience the joy of being yours.” It’s the action of submission; of surrender; of relinquishing control.

What I just described is the idea behind 1 Corinthians 4:7, where Paul writes: What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift? In other words, when you keep a tight grip on your money, your time, your talents, your achievements, your accolades, your creations or your opportunities as if they are yours to control and manipulate, you are missing the freedom God created you for. AND, you are missing the opportunity to use these things He has given you to minister in His name. AND, you are living apart from faith that says, “LORD, it’s all yours. You gave these things to me, and I offer them to YOU.” 

Thus, Paul’s challenge for the Corinthians was to train those clenched fists to open. He reminds them, “These things in your life are gifts from God.” James echoed that same thought: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17, ESV) Every good gift. Every perfect gift. Because God is God, His gifts are good and the way He gives them is good. It is always just what is needed. And because God does not change, we can be confident that God will provide everything we need for life and godliness through Him. So, we can have rest and be close to Him.  

One good exercise to train yourself to experience this rest and strengthen this trust is to practice a Sabbath each week. Set aside one day each week to rest from your hunting and gathering and instead focus on receiving from God. 

Notice the word “receiving” in that last sentence. Contrary to popular opinion, Sabbath isn’t about “doing nothing.” Sabbath is about receiving. It’s about trusting God’s goodness and enjoying God’s gifts, but it’s hard for us to do, because we are graspers. Get still? I have too much to do! I have goals to achieve. Outcomes to control. But God says, “Let go and draw near to me.” That simple act has the power to loosen your grip and change your heart.

Consider this: Is it possible that you are unable to receive some of God’s best gifts because of your grasp on other things? Is it possible that your grasp on control in your life has turned your work into an idol? (Do you feel guilty when you stop working?) Is it possible that you are so burned out that you have become an easy mark for all sorts of temptations? Have you built your identity on what you do rather than who God calls you to be? If any of those scenarios resonate, training your hands to release those things God has given you is vital for your spiritual health.

John Mark Comer writes: “It is very hard to tempt well-rested, emotionally healthy happy people. It is very easy to tempt exhausted, burned-out workaholic people under chronic stress. How often do we do most of the enemy’s work for him?” 

Sabbath is about God’s goodness. It’s about receiving God’s best for us, and it is a sign of surrender, of submission. It is an intentional act where I stop grasping and release control of my life. To say it another way, releasing your grip can heal your heart, and your life flows from your heart. 

Write the obvious rhetorical answers to Paul’s questions in 1 Corinthians 4:7:

“Who makes you different from anyone else?”

“What do you have that you haven’t received?”

“And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?”

Consider Robert Mulholland’s quote again … “Graspers powerfully resist being grasped by God. Manipulators strongly resist being shaped by God. Controllers are inherently incapable of yielding control to God. Spiritual formation is the great reversal: from being the subject who controls all other things to being a person who is shaped by the presence, purpose and power of God in all things.” Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what you are trying to control, manipulate or grasp which is not yours to control.

What do you need to receive today from God that will cause your heart to simply rest in the center of His will, that frees you from either comparison or boasting?