‘What can I get her?’ is ALWAYS a December question. In the spirit of Christmas, it is a tradition to give Christmas gifts to the ones I love. Being that there are 20 of us in our immediate family, that question is never easy to answer. Since gifts fall into different categories, the choices become hard. There are very few things my wife and I NEED. And what we WANT can be as fuzzy as a cloud!
I already bought my bride a few gifts. They are hidden and unwrapped in the original store bag. The gifts are already hers, even though I haven’t given them to her yet. I bought them because that’s what we DO at Christmas. They are items that she NEEDS, which get used up and discarded when they’ve worn out. Needs are expectations, tho not REALLY ‘presents.’ Good.. but not great!
Growing up, Christmas was always my favorite Holiday. I LOVED getting presents. Being poor didn’t really help though. Most of the presents I received were needs, therefore the first ones handed out by my mom. Socks… ‘YEA!!’ Underwear… ‘THANKS!’ A new pair of blue jeans… ‘WOW!’ All needs. All appreciated. But I knew the GOOD gifts would come LAST! So I waited.
I remember both my favorite, and my worst Christmases as a kid. My favorite was when my parents cleverly hid all the BIG boxes and revealed a VERY NICE Drum Set. I’d bugged them for a year! The worst was when my brother and I received an HO scale train set! I wanted a train set like I wanted The Plague, and my disappointment was palpable. ‘How’d my parents screw THAT up?’
Usually the ways of man are opposite of God’s ways, and the area of gift giving is an example. In 2 Peter 1-4, we find that the absolute GREATEST gifts possible, are the one’s given FIRST. Faith, Grace, Peace and Knowledge of God are HUGE! They are both needed… AND wanted. The gifts that make my life better FOR Him, the ones that take extra effort, found in Verses 4-9, come AFTER the BIG gifts.
The bland gifts, the ones that make my life shine in a Godly manner, take determination, time and practice to master. Some I still haven’t. Things like goodness, self-control, godliness and brotherly love often get a response from me like… getting underwear from my mom. “OH GOD… you mean I HAVE to love THAT GUY? AND be kind to him? Even though I want to punch his lights out? UGH!”
But the walk of a Believer has LOTS of benefits. And The Word tells me that if I GRATEFULLY receive and use the BIG gifts, AND work on applying the NEEDED ones, I will get extra bonus gifts when I get to heaven in the form of a ‘RICH welcome!’ As opposed to a poor one! So today, I am committed to making God’s NEEDED gifts shine out. And anticipate even MORE… later in Heaven.
How about YOU? Are YOU daily working on making your life and light shine like God wants and expects?
