WHICH DO YOU PREFER – RECEIVING A GIFT, OR GIVING A GIFT?

SCRIPTURE:
He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all; 
how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?  
(Romans 8:32)

MEDITATION:
Which is more important to you, receiving a gift from someone, 
giving a gift to someone, or having a great relationship with them?
We can receive gifts for any number of reasons.
Some people give gifts as an act of love.
Some people give gifts because they feel an obligation to give them.
Some people give gifts to encourage others.
Some people give gifts to others because they are in need.
We receive big gifts, small gifts, expensive gifts, cheap gifts, 
gifts that mean a lot to us, etc.

It’s great to receive gifts, but it is even greater to give gifts to others.
Think about the excitement that builds whenever you find that special gift 
that you know someone is going to be thrilled to receive.
You may have spent a lot of time trying to find it, 
but you can’t wait to see how they will react when they open the gift.
Giving can bring such pleasure into our lives.

Now, imagine how our Heavenly Father 
anticipates our receiving the gift He has for us.
We may sacrifice money that we planned to use to get something for ourselves 
in order to buy a gift for someone else, but God gave His only Son as His gift to us.
Awesome isn’t it?
And we can be assured that His gift was motivated by His love for His creations.

Take a moment and think about that.
The God of the universe not only created you, 
but He made the most incredible gift imaginable available for you.
And it doesn’t stop there!

The scriptures tell us that if He gave up His Son for us, 
then He certainly will give us much more.
That is the kind of God we love, praise and worship!
No other so called god can ever match the love and gifts of our Heavenly Father.

ACTION:
Take some time and think about all the gifts God has given you.
He continues to give you gifts daily, if you will take the time to notice them.
Spend time thanking Him often for His graciousness and love.
Plan on spending time with Him and His family every week if you are able.

Don’t let Satan win the battle of your will and cause you 
to put other things in place of your Heavenly Father, or His Son.
Jesus spent around three hours dying an agonizing death on the cross for you.
Since He loves us that much, He deserves first place in our lives 
(and we can show our love for Him in a climate controlled environment 
with comfortable seating and without suffering).

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, all I can say when I think of the incredible gifts You 
have given me is, Thank You! When you gave up Your Son for me, it 
left no doubt of the depth of love You have for me. Forgive me if I do 
not adequately show my appreciation for all You have given me, and 
continue to give to me daily. I am sorry for the times that I could have 
spent time with You and Your family, but chose to selfishly put something 
else ahead of You. You are important to me and I want to express my love 
and praise to You at every opportunity going forward. Teach me how to 
leave no doubt to others that You are at the top of my priority list.”