Bringing Our Gifts (Part2)

Bringing Our Gifts (Part2)

“A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of the one who has it.”

Prov.17:8

Part 1 focused on Faith and Fellowship (friendship) with God. This week we look at bringing gifts of Love and Service. John3:16 describes the greatest and most miraculous of gifts – God’s expression of love through Christ to the world. Everything that God does is motivated by this gift of Love.

So does God want anything from us? Absolutely! We learn about this from as early as the Old Testament: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) Jesus repeated this, and demonstrated in His life and works, how genuine love operates. He saw Love to God as the greatest commandment: “You must love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30)

Our love for God should permeate our entire being; and our life’s work should be motivated by that Love. Such Love not only embraces God but everything that is of God. We should remember too that Jesus taught His disciples that Love and obedience are inseparable. According to St. Paul, deep love for God is so powerful that it “constrains us.” It makes us so disciplined that we do not grieve God.

Another valuable gift is Service: “……All those alive should not live selfishly but live unto Him who died for them and rose again.” (2 Cor.5:15). And in Romans 12:1 St Paul describes service to God as “reasonable” or rational. It is wise to offer service to God and to follow the example of Christ. Everything He did was done to bring glory to God, to please God. It is not difficult to know what to do to please God – even a seemingly small act of kindness to someone is not small in the eyes of God. Jesus gave us a clear example of service: “Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these…you have done it unto Me.” (Matt.25:40)

Al Jones