THIS PAST WEEKEND I CELEBRATED ONE OF THE BEST BIRTHDAYS. EVERY YEAR GETS SWEETER AND SWEETER IT SEEMS.
WE HAVE DEAR FRIENDS (MORE LIKE FAMILY) WHO HAVE A HABIT OF GIVING YOU THE RED CARPET TREATMENT WHEN YOU ARE IN THEIR PRESENCE. DOES ANYONE HAVE FRIENDS LIKE THAT? OR ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE FRIENDS? I JUST WANTED TO GO UP TO VISIT AND HANG LOW KEY. BUT THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO ANYTHING LOW KEY WHEN IT COMES TO LOVING ON PEOPLE AND GIVING.
I FOUND MYSELF SEVERAL TIMES SAYING THINGS LIKE..….”OH YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THAT, I’M GOOD, I JUST WANTED TO COME UP AND SPEND TIME”. “YES I KNOW IT’S MY BIRTHDAY BUT PLEASE DON’T DO ANYTHING SPECIAL FOR ME..” “PLEASE DON’T DO ANYTHING EXTRA…PLEASE DO NOT GO OUT OF YOUR WAY” AND I MEANT EVERY WORD OF IT. MY GIFT WAS JUST TO BE WITH MY FRIENDS AND SHARE LIFE TOGETHER FOR THE WEEKEND. HOWEVER, THESE FRIENDS ARE NOT THE TYPE TO BACK DOWN. THEY WILL BRING IT RIGHT BACK TO YOU. THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD SAY THAT WAS GOING TO GET THEM TO LISTEN TO MY REASONING. IT GOT TO A PLACE WHERE I FINALLY ZIPPED MY LIPS BECAUSE I REALIZED I WAS NOT GOING TO WIN THAT GIFT OF LOVE BATTLE. AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEIR RESPONSE WAS? A SIGH OF RELIEF AND A “THANK YOU… LET US DO THIS FOR YOU”….AND A “WE WANT TO DO THIS”…“WE LOVE YOU”.
CAN ANYONE FIND THEMSELVES ON EITHER SIDE OF THIS SCENERIO? ARE YOU A GIVER BUT YOU DON’T RECEIVE WELL AT ALL? I’VE CERTAINLY BEEN ON BOTH SIDES. I KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO WANT TO BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE WHO FEELS THEY DON’T WANT TO INCOVENIENCE YOU. I KNOW HOW FRUSTRATING IT CAN BE WHEN YOU WANT A PERSON TO EXPERIENCE THE LOVE YOU HAVE AVAILABLE FOR THEM THROUGH A GIFT OF SERVICE OR A TANGIBLE GIFT. BUT THEY JUST WON’T LET LOVE GIVE.
I KNOW..I KNOW. AND YOU KNOW WHO ELSE KNOWS? GOD OUR FATHER. HE GAVE US THE GREATEST MOST VALUABLE GIFT WE WILL EVER RECEIVE IN OUR LIFETIME IN THE FORM OF HIS SON. AND WE ARE STILL SAYING TO HIM..”YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THAT” “DON’T DO ANYTHING SPECIAL FOR ME”. “I JUST CAME TO HANG” (BY THE WAY HANGING WITH GOD WILL BRING ALL THE LOVE AND BLESSINGS YOU WILL EVER NEED). WE SAY THESE THINGS IN OUR ACTIONS AND IN OUR SPEECH EVERYDAY. WE SAY THIS EVEN WITH THE EXPERIENCE I SHARED ABOUT MY FRIENDS WHERE GOD PLACES PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES TO GIVE TO US OUT OF THE GIFT OF LOVE.
WE HEAR THIS STORY EVERY CHRISTMAS OF THE WISE MEN WHO BROUGHT GIFTS TO JESUS NOT TOO LONG AFTER HE WAS BORN. I DO NOT SEE ANYWHERE RECORDED THAT MARY REJECTED THESE GIFTS. MARY NEVER SAID “YOU KNOW…WE ARE GOOD… DO YOU REALIZE THIS IS JESUS THE KING THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD?” SHE SAID NO SUCH THING. MARY RECEIVED THE GIFT OF LOVE FROM THESE WISE MEN TO THE GIFT OF LOVE…JESUS. I TRULY BELIEVE SHE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT THAT MOMENT OF GIVING WAS ALL ABOUT. THE WISE MEN SHOWS US CLEARLY HOW WE ARE TO RESPOND TO THE GIFT GOD GAVE US.
GOD WENT OUT OF HIS WAY BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE FOR US THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO THROUGH HIS SON JESUS. AND IF JESUS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVES IN US, WE MUST REALIZE GOD IS STILL USING PEOPLE TODAY TO SHARE HIS TANGIBLE GIFT OF LOVE THROUGH…..SO ARE YOU AVAILABLE? AND ARE YOU SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE TO BE USED IN SUCH A WAY TOWARD YOU? NO LONGER REJECT THE GIVER AND THE GIFT OF LOVE. THERE IS SUCH A FREEDOM THAT COMES WHEN WE RECEIVE THE GIFT OF LOVE. THERE IS FREEDOM AND BLESSINGS WHEN WE GIVE, ALLOWING THE GIFT OF LOVE TO WORK THROUGH US FOR OTHERS (FAMILY, FRIEND, OR STRANGER).
LET’S CHECK OURSELVES. WE WON’T BE ABLE TO RECEIVE ANY LOVE FROM ANYONE OR HAVE ANY LOVE FOR ANYONE ELSE IF WE DO NOT FIRST RECEIVE THE LOVE OF GOD THROUGH HIS SON JESUS.
TO YOU……..THEN THROUGH YOU…..LET LOVE GIVE.
PRAYER:
GOD YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL. THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME SO TO SEND YOUR SON JESUS TO SAVE MY SOUL. I RECEIVE THIS ETERNAL LOVE FOR ME RIGHT NOW. I RECEIVE YOUR TANGIBLE LOVE FOR ME RIGHT NOW THROUGH OTHERS. HELP ME TO BE YOUR HANDS AND FEET ON THE EARTH TO SHARE YOUR TANGIBLE LOVE WITH OTHERS. FATHER I PRAY FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE THE GIFT OF SALVATION TO THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW YOU AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THE ULTIMATE LOVE GIFT OF SACRIFICE. YOU CAME TO THE EARTH AND LEFT THIS EARTH HUMBLY AND YOU ROSE WITH ALL POWER… ALL IN THE GIFT OF LOVE. FOR THIS I AM TRULY GRATEFUL. AMEN
SCRIPTURES:
John 3:16 (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
1 John 2:10 (KJV)
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
1 Corinthians 16:14 (NIV)
14 Do everything in love.
John 13:34 (NIV)
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
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