Matthew 2:1-11
I Peter 2:9
I am sent by the great I Am,
I am sent by the great I Am,
I’m a blessing to God’s people
And a problem for the devil,
I am sent by the great I Am
While shopping with my youngest daughter the other day, we both became frustrated with the gift purchasing process. She wanted to grab the first thing she saw because she was tired of walking. I on the other hand wanted to be frugal (although she was the gift shopper – we were shopping with my money), but thoughtful; practical, but remembering the gifts were from her. My mind began to think about the One who initiated gift giving – our Lord.
You are familiar with the different types of gift givers. There are those who give gifts out of obligation (“…Mrs. Glass bought me a gift last year so I have to give her one this year.”). There are those who give a gift to show off – they leave the price tag on the gift, or make sure they present the gift in an expensive store’s bag / box. There are those who see gift giving as an opportunity to get rid of things they don’t want (a.k.a. re-gifting). There are even those who are more concerned with wrapping the gift, than the gift itself
As I considered what the Lord did for us, I thought about the wise men. The Scriptures record they traveled several months bearing gifts for the savior: gold, frankincense and myrrh. By now you have heard each of these gifts was symbolic: the gold represented Christ as a king, the frankincense represented His priesthood, and the myrrh foretold of His suffering as our Savior. These gifts were well thought out and, while perhaps at first glance did not make sense, as time passed proved to be the perfect gifts for Jesus. The Lord reminded me, even Jesus himself was hand-picked to be a gift to us. He further revealed to me that we, like Christ, have been chosen to be a gift to others.
How might you be a gift? First of all, the Lord purchased you with the blood of Jesus (I Cor. 6:20). He was not concerned with the price tag, nor was He concerned with the wrapping (Jesus wasn’t always pretty to look at – Isaiah 53:2). The only thing the Lord had in mind was His plan for our lives, and how He would use us to be a blessing to others. Think about the number of ways God has used you to help and benefit others: as children we were a blessing to our parents (performing chores); as parents we were a blessing to our children (teaching, training and providing for them); as siblings we were a blessing to one another; the blessings continue as friends, neighbors, church members and co-workers. The list of ways God has ordained us to be a gift to others is endless. However, I want to caution you that everyone may not always see you as a gift.
Perhaps you have had a few rough experiences in life; perhaps you did not always do things in a godly way; perhaps you did some things you are not so proud of; perhaps you don’t feel very special or as if you can bless or help anyone. I want to encourage you, you did not choose yourself, the Lord chose you (John 15:16). Furthermore, as a gift you have no say in whom you are given to (see the book of Jonah). You have no say in how you were packaged or wrapped – for “we are fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). The people to whom you are a gift may not recognize or appreciate you (Mark 6:3 and Luke 17:12-18). They may even wish to exchange you for something else (Matthew 27:16-22). There may be days that you don’t feel as if you are doing anything special or noteworthy at all.
Child of God let me encourage you! Continue to do what is right in the eyes of God. He knows what the people you have been gifted to need. He chose who to give you to. He took the time to put in you everything needed for the persons He gave you to. Remember, the gift doesn’t decide where to go, who to be given to – that decision is left up to the gift giver. The Lord knows what He is doing: trust Him. Let the Lord use you today to be a gift to someone else during this most special of holidays – Christmas. Jesus Christ was a gift to us: lying there in that manger, wrapped in rags amongst those animals, born of a virgin and young man with limited means. This was perhaps the most unlikely place to find a savior and king. That’s why Herod could not destroy Him.
Well just maybe that’s why the Lord made you the way you are. The gifts He has hidden in you may not be obvious to the casual observer, but continue to live holy – trust the Lord. One of these days when He really “unwraps” you, the entire world will see that you truly are a gift from God!!
I bless you in the name of the Lord!!
Merry Christmas
Pastor Eddie B Pruitte, Jr.