A REFLECTION ON CLARITY, BOUNDARIES, AND THE HEART OF GIVING IN THE KINGDOM By Josimar Salum

A REFLECTION ON CLARITY, BOUNDARIES, AND THE HEART OF GIVING IN THE KINGDOM

Josimar Salum

December 22, 2025

Someone very special sent me this message: “I would like to kindly ask for Christmas gifts.”

I responded: “Would you like to give me something? I realize that I have never received a gift from you.”

I would like to clarify my response, because my intention was not to hurt you or embarrass you, but to be honest and to establish a healthy boundary.

When you mentioned Christmas gifts, I responded the way I did because, in our relationship, the dynamic has most often been one-directional. Over time, I have consistently offered time, teaching, counsel, availability, and support, yet I have not experienced reciprocity in the form of a simple, voluntary gesture of honor or care. My response came from that lived reality, not from resentment or bitterness.

In the Kingdom, giving is never demanded, negotiated, or emotionally leveraged. A gift carries meaning only when it is freely given. When it is requested, it risks losing its nature as a gift and becoming an obligation. That is why I chose to respond with honesty rather than polite formality.

This does not mean that I am offended, nor that I am keeping accounts. It simply means that I value truth over appearances. Relationships grow healthier when expectations are clear and when generosity flows naturally, without pressure.

I desire relationship, not transactions. I value sincerity over symbolic gestures. If there is giving, may it come from the heart. If there is none, may there still be peace, respect, and truth between us.

My heart remains open, but it must also remain free. And freedom is preserved when we speak honestly, without manipulation and without fear.

With clarity and peace,

May our Lord help us to better understand His Kingdom.

#ASONE