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Speaking God's Love Language: Gift Giving

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."  James 1:17

Today is a day when love is in the air and flowers and chocolates are being bought by the tractor trailer full!  Many people around you will either have gift giving or gift receiving on their mind today.  While we're already in the mode of thinking about gifts, it's a perfect day to reflect on the gifts God so graciously bestows on us and the gifts that we can offer to Him.

The gifts that are given to us by God are innumerable and completely undeserved.  We receive many gifts from Him on a daily basis that we don't even recognize!  Here are a few of the greatest and most valuable gifts that He gives:
  • JESUS:  "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 1 Corinthians 9:15
  • GRACE:  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."  Ephes. 2:8
  • ETERNAL LIFE:  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Rom. 6:23
  • TALENTS:  "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others." 1 Peter 4:10a
  • WEALTH:  "Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil -- this is a gift of God."  Eccles. 5:19
God is an awesome gift giver!  Jesus reminds us in the Sermon on the Mount that God gives us good gifts because He is our Father:

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"  Matt. 7:11

So, if God is the God of the universe and owner of all things, how in the world can you and I give Him anything of any importance or worth?  Well, I choose to take the "Dandelion Theory" on this one.  When a parent receives a dandelion from their child, although it is merely a glorified weed, they receive it as a precious gift because it was given in love and with much thought put into it.

You see, all we can really offer God in the way of gifts is comparable to weeds.  He truly doesn't need anything that we have to offer Him, yet He loves to receive our gifts because we are His children and He is our Father.  Just as a parent sees a beautiful bouquet of flowers, rather than a handful of weeds, God sees our gifts as first-class offerings if our heart is behind the gift.

So what kind of gifts can you and I lovingly offer to such a generous God?
  • YOUR HEART:  The first and most important gift you can give to God is your heart.  He longs to take up residence in the most personal part of your life.  Have you fully given God your heart?
  • YOUR TIME:  He desires to spend time with you because He loves you!  Does God get a fair amount of time with you each day, or does He just get what's left over?
  • YOUR WORSHIP:  How can we not praise Him for all He has done?  We should be living our lives in an attitude of worship so that every day is a gift of worship to Him.
  • YOUR TALENTS:  Has He gifted you with an ability that you could in turn use for His glory?  Are you using that gift for Him?
  • YOUR RESOURCES:  Both the Old and New Testaments teach us that giving God the firstfruits of our labor is an important part of the life of every believer.  God doesn't need our money, but He desires our obedience.  Are you giving God what is rightfully His?
The old saying goes, "You can never out give God!"  We should never give with an expectation of receiving something in return, but trust me when I say, God is way more generous than you and I could ever imagine!   Our gifts to Him will always pale in comparison to what He desires to pour out onto us.  When you give with a pure heart, be prepared to stand in awe of your gracious God!

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