The offer of a gift
“So, would you like a new bike for Christmas?” asked my husband, Al.
“Hmm, a new bike? I really don’t need one, do I?”
He was patient while I took several days to mull it over. I already had a bike, for one thing, a 20 year old Schwinn, with seven speeds and skinny tires. Most of the time it sat in the garage, idle.
After much urging, we went to a bike shop “just to look”…and ended up ordering a beautiful 21-speed bicycle. Along with it, Al ordered shocks for when I steer into potholes on the road, a rack on the back to carry things and for both of us, mirrors to fit on the handlebars, reflective vests, straps to hold our pant legs in place and a bike rack for the back of the car. We helped out the local economy a great deal that day!
Now I am thankful for the gift which Al offered to me. We’ve already enjoyed several rides around the neighborhood; and I’ve been practicing using all 21-one gears, building up strength in my legs so that I don’t have to use the lowest gear to go up little hills, or walk the bike up steeper ones. The new bike will provide great recreation and exercise in the months ahead.
For one reason or another, some people have difficulty receiving gifts from others. They feel undeserving or unworthy. This makes the idea of accepting God’s love in the person of Jesus Christ very difficult for them. Although God has offered them a wonderful gift, they hesitate to receive Christ into their lives.
I had a telephone conversation about this recently with a friend. She said that it has always been difficult for her to receive gifts. And about this particular one, she felt very undeserving. “Why would God love me? Why would He send Jesus to live and to die for me?” she wondered. “I haven’t done anything to deserve that.”
I tried to explain that receiving this gift is not based upon being deserving or undeserving; it doesn’t depend upon our worthiness or unworthiness. God loves every person, and has chosen to reveal his love in and through Christ. The gift of Jesus is received by having childlike faith and by accepting him thankfully into our lives. It is only by his goodness and grace that we are saved from our sins.
She and I prayed together after our conversation, thanking God for the wonderful gift he has given us in Jesus. Then she had the idea to make this a daily prayer and to cross each day off the calendar after saying “thanks.”
“What a great idea!” I exclaimed. “I want to do it too.” After she had hung up, I went to the calendar and put an “x” on the date for that day. I hope that there will be x’s for every day in the remainder of 2012, for all of 2013 and on, until the day when I finally am able to stand in the presence of God and tell him “thank you” face to face!
“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’” — John 4:10 NIV
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 6:32 NIV
Judy Lowery lives in Springville. The Good News column appears regularly in the Porterville Recorder. You can read more at Judy’s blog, goodnewswithjudy.blogspot.com.
