Receiving

My husband bought me a second-hand washing machine a while back, before I got sick. This meant that making sure that it worked didn’t happen for a few months. If we had been able to take our time we would have worked out that all that was needed was a new lid. I look back on this experience with some regret because if I had listened to God properly I would have had a new TV as well as a working washing machine, which would have made my life a little easier.

When we are accepting the gifts we are given throughout the year, not only at Christmas time, do we accept them as an undeserved favour or do we have an attitude of entitlement. Some people give me the impression that they are entitled to receive only good things in this world.

In the lead up to Christmas I hear so many talks on TV about what to do with those unwanted gifts you receive. Give them to charity, or re-gift them to others.

God made available a gift that cost Him so much and was so underserved by us and we don’t even have to accept if we don’t want to but He doesn’t re-gift it to others and He certainly doesn’t throw it in the charity bin. He leaves it there available for us to accept at any time. Of course if we don’t accept that gift there will be eternal consequences.

“Freely you received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8b