Afraid of a gift...

Today, I'm sitting here at home – again thinking back to last night. Last night I was blessed to get a ride home from work. From there, I got home, talked with a few people and then had to rush out to the store. After my brief shopping stint, I stopped by Tim Hortons'(for those not in Canada, it's essentially a coffee /donut shop).

While I was in Tim Horton's, after paying for my Hot Chocolate, a woman walked in behind me, as I was waiting to receive my drink I offered her two dollars to pay for her beverage. What I couldn't believe is the fact that she refused this offer.

I wasn't looking to have coffee with her, I wasn't looking to even know her name or get her phone number, I was just wanting to do something genuinely nice for someone.

This makes me think of something Jesus taught Peter.

John 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

In other translations – this can be understood as, if you do not let me wash your feet, you cannot wash someone else's feet. Ponder on that for a moment.

I look back at this woman, she refused the money. She said “put it in the donation box instead”. What she missed is that she could've accepted the money I gave her to buy her coffee, and she could've put the two dollars in the donation box.

This causes me to bring up another question – why are people afraid to accept a gift that is free?

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Why someone would not want to accept the free gift of grace through faith, I don't know. I can't say I don't understand it, because I do understand it, but the why? I don't know.

People generally don't accept anything through faith, simply because we live in a world that teaches one another not to trust anyone, which instills doubt, and from doubt we get fear.

So the question would now become to many – why are you afraid to accept a free gift from someone?