A True Gift is Never Earned

As we approach Christmas you hear so much about kids being “good” enough to earn their Christmas gifts. 

“Were you good this year?” they ask.

The child nods his head, wondering if he was really good enough to earn that toy…

As if the child must be compliant in order to earn gifts.

ugh.

May I never teach my children that they are being “good” in order to get something.

Rather, may they obey out of their response to God for His FREE and undeserved gift in Jesus Christ.

There is nothing that anyone can do to earn the gift of salvation. It is free, and it is undeserved. No one can ever measure up or be good enough. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a gift, but a payment. And Jesus paid the price for our gift.

Let that Truth permeate a bit. He paid the price for our underserved gift…and what is the response? We obey…out of love...out of gratitude…because we can’t help but respond that way when we truly grasp the truth. We do not try to earn His love. We already have it. Obedience comes from love, not fear, not motivation for something…because we already have it.

Oh, my heart overflows at this truth. I pray all would know this truth at Christmas. 

So when you are out looking for gifts, remember, as the giver…did someone earn that gift? No, you are giving out of a heart of love. When you receive a gift, is it with the mindset of “Why thank you…I sure did earn this…” NO. It is of humble thanks.

That Jesus came down from Glory and suffered this human life in this fallen world…to suffer immensely…for those who did nothing, absolutely nothing, to deserve it. We are humans, and certainly, can’t deserve it, otherwise we’d be equal with God. Yet, He died for us.

What a gift. An undeserved gift. May I never, ever diminish the size of that gift. The greatest gift there is. Jesus.