Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians 9:15
Gifts. I cannot think about Christmas without thinking of gifts. I am the kind of person that loves looking for the perfect gift. All the time and effort searching for the thing that fits their personality and interests is always worth it when I see the joy it brings. What makes it even better is to see them use and enjoy the gifts well after the holidays are over.
The most wonderful gift ever given came in the form of a tiny baby. This indescribable gift mentioned in 2 Corinthians is the gift of God’s own son, Jesus Christ. Spurgeon said, “God’s unspeakable gift is not the cause of His love, but the fruit of His love.” A gift given because we desperately needed it and He wanted to fill that need.
Accepting this gift is only the beginning. Everyone likes a multi prize gift…and that is exactly what we receive at the point of salvation. The book of Ephesians is jam packed with a list of all that we receive tucked into this gift of salvation from God. We discover that we are given every spiritual blessing, made joint heirs, made sons and daughters, made holy and blameless, and given His righteousness to name a few. All that receive the gift of salvation from God are given these things as well.
But our God doesn’t stop there. God then gives us gifts that are tailored just for us. I was so very blessed at the age of 17 that my youth pastor took the time to help me understand what my spiritual gifting was and how that translated into serving the Lord. As I have grown older, I have been amazed and blessed to see how my primary gift of administration matches perfectly with my personality and natural abilities. (kinda like He knew exactly who I was and who I was going to become – HA!) But this gift it not meant for me. My gifting is made to serve the body of Christ.
Over the years I have drawn from this gift in various ways both inside and outside the walls of the church. Just as much as I love to give the perfect material gift, it doesn’t compare to the joy and contentment I find using my spiritual gift the way God intended it to be used.
Have you opened your gift from God? Or is it set off to the side unused and gathering dust? God wants us all to live and experience the abundant life He has promised us and the best way to do that is to unpack all that He has given us and put them to use.
“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,
each of us is to exercise them accordingly”
Romans 12:6
Merry Christmas!
Melodie