The Perfect Gift

My family has always observed December 25 as a secular holiday, not a religious holy day. We celebrate the things that are unique to this season: decorations, family get togethers, Christmas carols, bowl games, and egg nog. And especially today, we exchange gifts.

I don't remember when it first happened, but somewhere along the way, I started getting more excited about what I was giving than what I was getting. I looked forward to the joy and the surprise of someone I love opening a present that was just for them. And sometimes you even hear those words that make it all worthwhile. “Where's the gift receipt?” No, not that! You hear, “It's perfect.” All of us search and shop and strive to give “the perfect gift.”

“Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow” (James 1:17). When it comes to giving, no one is greater than God. His gifts are perfect because they satisfy our greatest needs. His gifts are useful because they equip us for every good work. His gifts are priceless because they prepare us for eternity. His gifts are precious because they are an expression of His love.

Love is our connection to our Creator. “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). God's love was not a response or a reaction; He started the process. He took the risk of rejection knowing that He would not receive an immediate “It's perfect” in return. But He chose to extend Himself anyway. He “is love” (1 John 4:8). And when we examine the love which He has for us, we can better give our own love in return.

What makes God's love such a perfect gift?

God's love encompasses. “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16). That's the scope of His love. He did not choose a certain part of the world or a specific nation to love. His affection is universal. His desire is for “all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). His wish is for “all to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). There is no one outside of the range of God's love. He created everyone. He knows everyone. He loves everyone. That doesn't leave anyone out.

Shouldn't we then, as recipients of this love, practice it in the same way? But, instead of loving all who have been made in the image of God, we sometimes choose who we think is worthy of our love. We certainly didn't learn that from our Father. He loved the world. Who in your world doesn't fit in that category?

God's love expresses. He so loved the world “that He gave His only begotten Son.” He did not feel a certain way toward mankind and hide it in His heart. He expressed it. He “demonstrated” it (Rom. 5:8). His love involves motion, not just emotion. It is active. And the action by which He made it known was not by giving one of His sons, but according to the Greek “the Son the only begotten.” By not withholding the greatest gift of all, He left no doubt of His love.

When return God's love, we must do so with the proper appreciation of how He has shown His love for us. While we certainly can never match His gift, we can give the very best we have to offer. Instead of doing the bare minimum to get by, we ought to devote our whole heart to serving Him and His saints. Rather than complaining about the sacrifices we have to make for the cause, we should imagine how He felt as He watched His Son die for the people He loved.

God's love accomplishes. His love for the world motivated Him to give His only begotten Son “that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The purpose of our Father's love is fulfilled in the salvation of souls. Souls that were “helpless,” “sinners,” and “enemies” (Rom. 5:6,8,10) become His saints when we respond in faithful obedience to God's great gift.

“God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 John 5:11). What God wanted from the beginning was a relationship with His people that would last for eternity. He gave accordingly. “When by the gift of His infinite grace, I am accorded in heaven a place...” Can you think of a better accomplishment?

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15)! What that says is, “It's perfect!”

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