GIVING GIFTS

Another Christmas passed. A wonderful time with family! A new year begun! Resolutions made? (And as I write this, I am finishing off a fresh doughnut with my coffee.)

Giving and receiving of gifts is no small part of the holidays. We have even given names to some of the more humorous facets of our Giving! “Re-gifting” a la Seinfeld. An older term: “Exchanging gifts” (You give to me and I must give to you.) “Returning gifts” – a trip to the Mall for the correct size!

When we think of gift-giving and our traditions around the practice, we are reminded of God’s gift-giving and how we should make our gift-giving more like His. Jesus tells us that “even sinners give to those who can and will give back to them”. (Luke 6:32) God’s gift cannot be an exchange-it is a free gift (Eph. 2:8)

Even if we wanted to (and sometimes we try), we cannot give back to “balance the account.” The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:15-16 that Adam’s sin brought death to all, but the one gift of Jesus brought life to all. Quite an uneven exchange!

God’s Great Gift, eternal life through Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23), is indeed the “indescribable gift.” Let’s count our blessings and give thanks always.

Hugh Price