Enjoying His Gift of Life “Today”
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15 NASB2020
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes] .James 1:17 AMP
If you are a Christian and are able to read the title of this article then the gift of Jesus Christ’ life, all that He is, and all that He represents has been extended to you, today. If you are not a Christian the gift of life has still been extended to you today. Now let’s take a minute to really think this thought through as we look at the definition of a gift.
Gift; something given willingly to someone without payment; something voluntarily given or transferred by one person to another without compensation; an item given to someone without the expectation of payment or anything in return. It is meant to be a free will offering with no strings attached with no expectation of anything given back in return;
Gifts are to symbolize the affection and appreciation we have for someone. Gift-giving, regardless of the occasion, is meant to be a show of our love and appreciation we have for the person whom we are giving the gift to. It is meant to bless them and encourage them. However, we also know sometimes it seems to be an obligation.
We know whatever the occasion, the protocol is we should bring a gift. When was the last gift you gave to someone because of your love or affection for them? Now think how many times you have given a gift out of protocol, not really having any feeling attached in the gift giving process.
If you have a large family you are usually giving gifts all the time and, of course, there are those times it’s the social norm to give a gift. Now before we condemn ourselves there is nothing wrong with the social norm, birthdays, showers, weddings, the list can go on and on. We know a gift is to be given. We know it’s considered proper to give a gift. But the gift isn’t so much out of our love and appreciation for whoever we are giving the gift to as much as that’s just what you’re supposed to do.
Yet every day, as we wake up to a new day, the gift of Christ is being given to us with the greatest of love and affection. It’s not a social norm, it’s not an obligation to Him, it is out of His love for us to bless us. This gift of His life, His presence being with us, is the person of Jesus Himself showing His love and affection for us today. He gives us this gift every morning when we first wake up.
There is nothing you did to get this gift, it is what “He” did and is still doing for you with all of His heart. Remember, a gift is something given freely, it’s not a payment for something, it is just a generous offer one person has and is willing to give away to benefit someone else. This gift is to bless them, to improve their life in some way, to enhance or lift them in some way, and to show love and affection toward them.
This is what Jesus is doing everyday. He is giving us the gift of His life. He is giving us Himself, His life, new for us to open and enjoy. We get to feel His love and affection He has for us every day.
Whether you are a Christian or not, every day we are alive is a gift. What we do with this gift is a choice. Jesus’ choice every day is to give the gift of His life to us for us to enjoy. It is a gift given directly from His heart to us.
We know on special occasions, throughout the year there are times we will get a gift. Yet everyday is a special occasion with Jesus. Every day He is giving us the gift of life and all that goes with it. As a Christian we get to receive the gift of Jesus, new and afresh every day, with all His love and affection. His gift is allowing us to explore and experience new things in and with Him every day, if we choose.
We need to be careful we do not start treating this gift like it is always going to be there and not really giving it much thought anymore. We must not forget how great a gift His life truly is for us, today.
As a young minister I recall a guest speaker we had in the church. At one time this man and his wife were ministers of a very successful church in California. Then he had a heart attack that caused 80% of his heart to be dead. Unlike today, there was nothing medically that could be done for him. He was barely alive and life, as he once knew, was gone. If he exerted himself too much or did anything too quickly he would pass out or possibly have the rest of his heart crash, and he would die.
They had to give up the ministry. He lived in this condition for several years. Life, as they both knew, was gone.His wife had to take a menial job just for them to survive. They had to move out of their house and into something smaller they could afford.
Years later they attended a conference and during a meeting he started having a heart attack. Some people around him recognized he needed help right then. They brought him forward and prayed for him and his heart was completely, totally restored 100%. His life instantly changed again from almost dead to life in its fullest. They both had their lives back, he was a new man. He literally had a heart that worked 100%. He went from not being able to get off his couch, to riding a bike through the neighborhood sharing his testimony with everyone who would listen. He was now traveling, preaching the gospel again and sharing his testimony.
The two of us, who led the church at that time, as we looked into his eyes, it was a look of such gratitude for a second chance at life. You really could see it in his eyes. Looking at him and listening to him you knew he knew he had been given a second chance with the gift of life.
Now we may not have a medical condition which hinders our life, but how much do we understand we’ve been given the gift of life today? It’s a brand new day! It really is the first day of the rest of your life. How grateful are we? How much do we truly appreciate this day? Do we feel the love and affection He is extending to us today?
He is wanting you to unwrap His gift of life today and enjoy every aspect of His life. Do you realize that God is enjoying unwrapping the gift of your life and everything you are, today? Are you giving Him the gift of your life as a show of your love and affection? We must realize He is giving you His life because He enjoys you as well. We must be careful not to look at today with the thoughts of just another day, similar to yesterday, nothing different. Instead, see Jesus as alive with us today, creating new things, giving us new experiences, and drawing us closer to Himself. Wrapped up in His gift of life today is endless possibilities. So today take time to say, “Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord Jesus” for your gift of abundant life today and then open and enjoy the greatest gift ever given to you.
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15 NASB2020
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Ephesians :7 NASB2020
