Gift

So I was thinking the other day about gifts: if you're just buying something for someone because you have to, without caring a whole lot about the person you're giving it to, you're more likely to go cheap and not put a whole lot of effort into it. However, if you value the person you're giving the gift to, you're going to give with a generous heart, because the person matters to you that much.

I've noticed a certain trend developing in my church - it's a fad where you spend a lot of time emphasizing how miserable humans are, and how gracious God is in showing us any consideration at all. I think there are two reasons for this: the first reason is because in a mixed-up way, it makes people feel better about themselves...more spiritual, I guess you'd say. The second is because some people don't really believe they're loved. It's easier for them to say they're a miserable, lowly creature whom God only extends mercy to because He arbitrarily decides to. It's easier for them, because they believe God is like that. They don't see His love at all.

However, God gave about the biggest gift ever when he sent Jesus to live with us and die for us. Think about it: if God operated under very self-glorifying motivations, deciding to save the dirty, helpless humans He'd created (which, by the way, He created in His image, which seems to demonstrate a huge, personal, caring investment in us) simply to glorify Himself, or because He's just that nice, then He would've picked a much less painful way to do it. By sending His only Son, a being directly connected to and a part of Himself, He was sending the most precious thing He could.

And what that does for me, is it fills my heart with all the love God has for me. He values - no, treasures me, that much. An inevitable result of all this is that God is glorified. But who wouldn't glorify a creator who gave all that He had to redeem lost souls - souls created to fellowship with Him and delight in His love.

Not miserable, but treasured.