Taking the “IF” out of gIFt
By
Elin Henderson
“…the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our LORD.”
Romans 6:23b
(NKJV)
Tis’ the season for gifts and gift giving. We are all making our
lists and checking them twice not to mention hitting the shops in search of the
perfect gift at the perfect price!
We often connect a lot of “ifs” to our gifts, don’t we? We buy
gifts based on IF the person is a family or friend - - we aren’t apt to give
complete strangers gifts. Sometimes gift-giving is only accomplished IF we have
enough money or time to purchase gifts. We may even base our gifts on IF that
certain person has or has not treated us well. It may mean the difference
between a designer bag and socks!
How wonderful to know that there are no “ifs” attached to God’s
gift. His gift of salvation is for all. It isn’t based on “IF you are good
enough,” or “IF you jump through the right hoops,” or “IF you don’t fall away,”
but He freely offers Himself, the perfect gift to us. There are no hidden
clauses, no fine print, just a simple gift tag of “FREE.” This added “free”
dissolves our “ifs,” after all a free gift is simply that, FREE! We just need
to reach out and take it!
So, this holiday season, let us rejoice in the free Gift - - no
IF’s attaches - - that was sent our way so many years ago and may we freely
share it with others!
“Thanks be to God for His
indescribable GIFT!” II Corinthians 9:15 (NIV)
GOING
DEEPER:
1. Do we
sometimes add “ifs” to our spiritual walks as believers? “If only I served
better…” “If only I was more like so-and-so”?
2. How can
knowing who we are in Christ and His available free grace help us dissolve
those “ifs”?
FURTHER
READING:
Oakwood’s missionaries Elin
Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters
with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to
fourteen-year-old Callie and twelve-year-old Elias.
