Presenting Our Gifts

Have you ever remembered someone’s birthday last minute and had to muster up a frantic, lower-tier gift? Perhaps a few things stored away in case of a rainy day or something that catches your eye while grocery shopping ends up in the birthday bag.

You already feel self-conscious about this gift, but you don’t have the time or means to give a better present. What makes you almost feel worse is when the receiver acts completely shocked and delighted by the gift, a measly gift in your eyes. A gift that could’ve been so much more, but could never fully repay the gift of this friendship.

I had that experience today. I found out about a friend’s birthday with less than a week to get her a gift, yet she’s been such an amazing friend, I knew I wanted to honor her in this way. I managed to put a gift together the day before, knowing before I even gave it to her that I could’ve done better.

But then, to both my horror and delight, she was completely surprised and eager to open her gift. Without even knowing what was inside (perhaps due to not knowing…) she thanked me profusely for the gift, touched by being remembered, while I wallowed in embarrassment for not trying harder.

As I’ve thought about it more, I’ve begun to contemplate the real purpose of gifts. Often, we give out of appreciation or care for someone else. It’s a way to thank them, or even repay them, for the role they play in our lives. Gift-giving models the gift of salvation we have from Jesus, but on a significantly smaller scale.

Speaking of Jesus, how can we possibly repay Him? We have gifts to bring to Jesus, such as love, thankfulness, and treating others the way He did. However, our gifts can never amount to the extraordinary gifts Jesus continues to give us each day.

Does that mean we should stop giving Jesus our gifts? Absolutely not. When we give Jesus our gifts, especially through helping others, we are showing Jesus that we love Him and that we aren’t putting His gifts to waste.

Should we be ashamed of how our gifts are so small in comparison to all Jesus has done for us? No, not at all. We could never, no matter how hard we try, give as much as Jesus has. We weren’t created to fulfill one of God’s needs. We are here so that God can love us and so that we have the freedom to love God back.

So the next time you are tempted to think little of a thoughtful, yet unassuming gift for either God or a loved one, remember that the value of the gift all comes down to one thing: your heart. When you give from the heart, it means the world to people. Don’t stop giving. Rather, allow yourself to relish in the fact that when we give, we are able to imitate Jesus, the best gift giver of all.

And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:14-15