You Only Get Out What You Put In

How many of us grew up hearing, “You can only withdraw what you’ve deposited?” Whether it was about school assignments, our jobs, our marriages, friendships, business relationships, or life in general, the principle was always the same. If you don’t put anything in, don’t expect anything in return.

The other day, while sitting with a group of people, that thought came back to me: You only get out what you put in. Initially, I thought about it from a natural perspective. But then Father God began to show me a much broader perspective than I had first understood.

Unfortunately, I experienced some hurt and disappointment from some in this group. During this stressful and unfortunate time, Father God allowed my eyes to see some things, and, if I am honest, they were things I would have preferred not to see. But as one who carries the prophetic mantle, I do not always have the option of choosing what Father God allows me to see. That choice belongs to Him alone. Not only did I see things I had no desire to see, but I also realized I was holding on to some misplaced pain that I didn’t know what to do with. I knew I did not want to allow offense to take root and compound matters further. As He continued giving me even more revelatory and undesirable insight, I found myself asking the same question: Why, Father God? Why are You choosing to show me all of this when You can easily show them?

As I sat there, my heart cried out for a deeper love, and that became the center of my prayer. Even though I was hurt and seeing things that could cause judgment and resentment, I could feel my heart and spirit crying out: Father God, please… I see the potential for this to become a trap; I don’t want to be that person. I genuinely love Your people, and I want that love to grow even deeper.

And that simple, honest, and vulnerable prayer changed everything. Instead of allowing me to focus on what had been done, Father God began drawing my attention to what He was doing in me. And it became clear that I had choices: I could withdraw, become offended, judge, or try to protect myself by closing my heart, which, to some degree, I had already done. Or, I could make another deposit. Let me explain what I mean by making another deposit. When you deposit money into a bank account, you surrender what you have into the bank’s possession, correct? All of what I was experiencing, feeling, and seeing were opportunities to make another deposit: to deposit willingness, an open heart, another “yes,” and another decision to remain teachable. They were opportunities to forgive and to choose to stay in His presence.

As with a natural account, the more you deposit, the more you have available to withdraw. And the longer the deposit remains, the greater its potential to earn interest. I also noticed that these were not one-time deposits. As I thought about it and looked back, I saw that there were many opportunities to make deposits. Each new thought, feeling, and revelation presented another opportunity to choose Him over my own understanding and feelings.

As I opened myself to Him, I understood that what I saw and felt was not permission to criticize or become self-righteous. Instead, love, wisdom, discernment, and spiritual maturity were the interest those deposits would earn over time. I had to move past finger-pointing and become willing to see the growth I needed. Catch that one right there—it’s a nugget!

Over time, those steady deposits of surrender, willingness, and openness began to produce something more beautiful than I could see. I found that what was available to me was more peace than offense, a greater sense of discernment instead of suspicion, and deeper compassion instead of criticism. And most of all, I learned that Father God had given me a greater capacity to love His people.

If you’ve been wounded, let me share a few more nuggets with you:

• Don’t automatically isolate yourself in an effort to protect your heart. Isolation cannot heal what only Father God can reach.
• Be careful not to allow hurt to lead you into a spirit of offense. This is an area where the enemy is cunning.
• Always be willing to yield the right of way to Father God.
• Continue giving Him your yes, no matter what. You cannot afford not to.
• Continue making steady deposits; the reward will always be unmatched!
• Stay open, obedient, and teachable; doing so keeps you in His presence.

When life squeezes us, what comes out reveals what we’ve been depositing all along. May our daily deposits be surrender, humility, forgiveness, obedience, and love, so that when the time comes to make a withdrawal, what comes out looks more like Christ than it did yesterday.

Father God is a loving Father, and a loving Father corrects His children. His correction is never meant to push us away from Him; it’s always an invitation to draw closer to Him. Remember, “You Only Get Out What You Put In.”