A couple of years ago I saw an advertisement for Victoria’s Secret that said, ‘Be The Gift.’ Of course, it was an ad of a woman dressed in VS items and on top of her head she had a big red bow. The ad was suggesting something that we really don’t need to go into here, but I will say this, God can turn everything around and use it for His glory if we’re open to receive.
Certainly, when it comes to giving no one can outdo God. Bow or no bow. Big or little. God gave His only Son. Really think about that for a moment. How many of us, if we had 10 sons, would give one up? But God gave His ONLY One, Jesus Christ, to die for us. God loved us so much (love is demonstrated), that He gave. He saw the sin in the world and in spite of how holy He is and the fact that He HAS to turn away from it, He yet wanted to do something about it. Hear this… in spite of how “holy” we are and that we SHOULD turn away from sin, we STILL should want to do something about it. Here’s a suggestion, maybe intercede? But anyway, God saw a need and He met that need by giving of Himself.
My husband, Minister Jeff, did an Encouraging Word just today called “Today, Love Someone” and in it he said that love is expressed through giving. (I will say it again, love is demonstrated). God loved and God gave. He presented us with a gift. The gift of Jesus Christ, Who came as a newborn baby to grow up as we do, to live a sinless life, and to die. Just so we might have eternal life. God started all the gift-giving over 2000 years ago with Jesus and as we celebrate Christmas, we should keep in mind the tremendous sacrifice that Jesus made. The awesome gift that God gave us. The Bible says that every good and every perfect gift comes from above. And it all started with Jesus. The Word is true. What a good and perfect gift He is!!!
This is the time of the year that many celebrate the birth of Jesus, born into the world on what we have to come to call Christmas Day. But we should also celebrate Jesus death and resurrection. Because without Him completing the work that God sent Him to do, without Him “being the gift,” we would not have eternal life.
And that alone should be enough to move us to want to give something back to Him. And as I think about that Victoria Secret ad, “Be The Gift” that is what I believe God wants us to do. BE THE GIFT. And we can do that by living according to the Word, living the way God would have us to, responding the way that shows forth His goodness in the earth.
We can be the gift by allowing the Word to take root in our hearts, because when we do that the manifestation of the Spirit of God shall come. We can be the gift when we forgive, when we can pardon the sins of others (and I mean really look past them, faults and all). We can be the gift, when we smile at someone, or say a kind word instead of a harsh one. The Bible says soft words turn away wrath.
We can be the gift, that good and perfect gift, when we let the Spirit of God have His way in us and through us. And as we do that, we, just like God did over 2000 years ago, can present the world with a gift. The gift of salvation. The gift of Jesus Christ, and all He has to offer.
So I encourage you to be the gift, show forth the gift that you have received, that someone else might want to receive it also.
God is good, y’all and He’s real.
A servant of the Lord,
Sis. E
Testimonials to the goodness, faithfulness, and "realness" of God and His intervention in our lives.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Be The Gift
Evelyn Fannell has the true heart of a servant. She spends a great deal of her time assisting friends, family, and others with a variety of plans and projects, always seeking simply to be of help; always going the extra mile. A writer since her youth, in 2008 Evelyn created the blog, But God Is Real, inspired by real life situations and circumstances that speak to the “realness” of God and His intervention in daily life. After the death of her son, Joseph, Evelyn started another blog, In the Shadow of Grief, created to chronicle the emotions and stages of grief so that she could help others through their journey of pain and sorrow. Along with the blog, Evelyn also started a grief support group on Facebook, under the same name, where members can share with one another in a supportive, non-judgmental environment
In her spare time, Evelyn enjoys jigsaw puzzles, photography, and planning and creating items for special events. She also serves as First Lady and administrator of her church, On Good Ground Christian Fellowship, now in Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to Joseph, she and her husband, Jeff, have two daughters, Brandi and Jasmine, and a grandson, Christian.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment