Good Gifts

So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Matthew 7:11 (NLT)

I absolutely love giving gifts to others, don’t you? There’s nothing quite like seeing smiles on the faces of those I love as they rip off the wrapping paper, pry open the box, and uncover the treasure inside. 

I’ve had multiple opportunities to experience this great joy over the past few months celebrating, not only Christmas, but the birthdays of several of our grandchildren. And with three children, their spouses, and six grandchildren in our family, I have many more opportunities ahead of me!

The above passage in Matthew is a great reminder that if we, as sinful, imperfect people, can give good gifts to our children (and grandchildren), how much more will our perfect, loving, Heavenly Father give good gifts to us. Our minds can’t even comprehend the love behind the gifts of God to His children. The very heart of God is centered on giving. All we have to do to see His giving heart is take a look at one of the most famous and quoted verses of the Bible…

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NLT)

God gave the greatest gift that could ever be given…His only Son, Jesus. That great sacrifice alone would be enough to praise our God for all eternity, but He didn’t stop there. When we accept Him as Savior and Lord of our lives, He also gives us His Holy Spirit to live inside us. 

And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. Ephesians 1:13

The Holy Spirit teaches us, convicts of sin, reveals truth to us, guides us, prays for us, seals us until the day of redemption, and more. Wow! What a gift we have in the Holy Spirit.

He could have stopped there, but He didn’t. He gave us the gift of the Bible to guide us in this life, and prepare us for eternity. He set up guard rails, called commandments, to protect us and lead us down the right path so we can experience the abundant life Jesus died to give us.

Those amazing gifts would have been more than enough, right? But no, He gives even more. He extends grace, mercy, forgiveness, peace, joy, wisdom, and so much more. 

He gives us a variety of spiritual gifts, and the amazing gift of the church, where we are privileged to unite together, using those individual gifts in cooperation, to build and grow His Kingdom. God could do it all without us, but in His great love and generosity, He allows us the joy of serving and being used on this earth for eternal impact.

His gifts are endless. His love is endless. Let’s praise our God for His amazing gifts to us!

What spiritual gifts has God given to you? How are you using those gifts to build His Kingdom?

If you aren’t sure what your spiritual gift/gifts are, check out this site, or search for an alternate survey online.

Join the conversation. What is the best gift you’ve ever received? What is the most memorable gift you’ve ever given to someone?