Each year I make a calendar to give to my mother for Christmas. For the past few years, the photos have been of places we have been on our long caravan trips. I spend many hours choosing photos and working out the layout. Mum hangs the calendar on her wall, but it is in the corner. In pride of place is an old calendar that my sister-in-law gave her, with photos of her grandchildren. When I try to swap the calendars over, Mum changes them back to how she had them. The old calendar is very out of date, and I think the photos aren’t even very good ones. Plus, they are only of one family – not mine.
Have you ever given a gift that seems to hold little value for the recipient? Perhaps you have spent lots of time making something that you think is special. Or you have spent lots of money selecting what you think is a lovely gift. But then, when you give it, the recipient doesn’t react with the joy you expected. They don’t put it on display. You don’t see it in use, and you suspect that they may have put it in a cupboard to gather dust, or maybe they have given it away to someone else.
How did you feel when your gift didn’t seem to hold any value for the recipient? In my case, I felt that perhaps I should have saved my money, or that I wasted all my time.
I wonder how God feels when we don’t value His gift – the greatest gift of all time?
For God so loved the world, that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (NIV)
We’ve heard John 3:16 so many times, that it might not mean much. And do we really need Jesus anyway? Look again at the text. If we don’t believe in Jesus, we will perish!
I don’t feel like I’m perishing. Here in Australia, I’ve got plenty of food and drink, sometimes too much. Even with all its ups and downs, I’ve got a pretty good life really. But God says I will perish without Him. The dictionary definition of perish is ‘suffer complete ruin or destruction.’ God is talking about eternal damnation in hell.
Amazingly, God gave Jesus to die in my place, so that I wouldn’t have to perish. I can have eternal life in heaven, not because of what I deserve or have done, but because of Jesus! This has got to be the most amazing gift of all time!
God is love, 1 John 4:8b. He doesn’t force us to believe in Him. We are free to reject Him, or to forget about Him, or to get too busy to be bothered with Him. When Jesus was on earth, many people rejected Him.
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
John 1:11 (NIV)
But for those who believe in Him, He gives adoption into His family!
Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.
John 1:12 (NIV)
Prayer: Dear God, Many times I forget about your wonderful gift. I think I’ll be alright in this life, and I haven’t got time to worry about life after death. Remind me that what I actually deserve is eternal punishment. Forgive me for relying on myself. Forgive me for forgetting about you. Thank you that you sent Jesus, so that I don’t have to get what I deserve. Thank you for your love and your unimaginable generosity. Thank you for your promise that you will never leave me nor forget me, even though I often forget about you and your perfect gift, that really is the greatest gift of all time. Amen.
P.S. Last Christmas, I made a new calendar for Mum for 2024. It had photos of all her children and grandchildren. Mum said, “Oh, that WILL be good!”
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Have you ever given a gift that was not received well?
Or have you received a gift that you didn’t want?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and reactions. Please leave a comment below.
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