Tuesday; May 14

When we give a gift, what is our motivation: Do we give someone what we think they want to get or do we give them something we know they need to get? That is an interesting conundrum, isn’t it? When I first thought of this question, I was leaning toward the correct answer being giving them what we think they would like to receive – after all, isn’t gift-giving all about making someone happy? Yet, the more I think about it, the more I am tending to lean toward the second, wiser approach. Many of us know people who would like to receive things that may or may not be good for them. Children might want more candy, someone struggling with a lack of restraint might want more of what they are addicted to, people driven by monetary gain might want more stuff; but would giving them what they want really be doing them a favor?

As I pondered this, I got to thinking about the gifts that God gave mankind. Had He asked us what we wanted we might have said better health, longer life, more power or even more financial security. However, God knew that what we needed more than anything else was salvation from our sins. Sure, He might allow us to pursue some of these other things from our wish lists, but the gift that He guaranteed for each one of us was access to forgiveness and eternal life. The Bible reminds us of God’s graciousness when it says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17).

The next time we approach God with thanksgiving, let’s remember what He gave us. It might not have been our first choice, but it served our best interests!

Think About It!

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