"Gift"
by Jeff Godsown on Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at 10:06am
“Gift”
So often we as human beings rely on our experiential knowledge to discern things regarding God’s Word, leaning to our own understandings and interpretations, which actually deny and dispute the God truth of God’s Word. The word gift is one of them; GIFT, n. [from give.] A present; any thing given or bestowed; any thing, the property of which is voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation; a donation. It is applicable to any thing movable or immovable.
1. The act of giving or conferring.
2. The right or power of giving or bestowing. The prince has the gift of many lucrative offices.
3. An offering or oblation.
4. A reward.
5. A bribe; any thing given to corrupt the judgment.
6. Power; faculty; some quality or endowment conferred by the author of our nature; as the gift of wit; the gift of ridicule.
GIFT, v.t. To endow with any power or faculty.
When God gives a gift, it come with no strings attached, that being said, let us examine God’s gift verses man’s gift. Rom 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
God’s gifts for the most part are not tangible, such as His love; Joh 3:16 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.
Though Jesus the person, in the days He walked this earth was tangible, the gift from our Father was not, in the simple fact, true love cannot be touched, it can be felt, but not touched. I have heard how so many claim that new car, or the new house, or the new this or that is a gift from God, but is it really? Think about it, if it takes any kind of financial effort for the up keep, or if it grows old and begins to break down, how can it be a gift? God doesn’t give gifts that fade or rust or grow old and wither in the elements. The gifts that God does give, He expects us to take care of as good stewards. I can sing, but if I smoke or drink or do anything which might destroy this gift from God that falls on me as a failure to be a good steward of the gift God gives me. God warned us in several scriptures about taking tangible gifts from people that might alter our perspective of people and or events, causing us to be swayed in judgment. Deu 16:19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
We as believers must be very careful about what we receive from people and not make attachments of what we receive, to God. If something goes wrong, will we either attribute the gift from that person to what could become a bribe, causing us to alter our testimony, or worse yet, making us angry with God because the gift broke down or didn’t last? We are fickle minded, and easily swayed by our ability to over think things and happenings, this in turn can cause us in our failed thinking to ultimately blame God, mocking Him, all because we interpreted wrongfully. God does bless us, sometimes with tangible objects, but in faith with works required, we must be good stewards of what God has blessed us with. God gifted me with musical talents, but He blessed me with many instruments to accomplish what He has in store for me, in order to honor Him. The instruments that He blessed me with need to be taken care of, new strings, new parts, cleanings, sometimes re-installing programs, these things take time and money, or in other words, works. The talents to play these instruments and to sing, God gave as a gift, to honor Him, but these also require works, I must exercise these gifts, none of which cost money.
The same is true regarding the gift of love, love doesn’t cost money, nor is it just words, and love is an action verb. I show my love to God by obeying Him, worshiping Him in Spirit and truth with the very gifts He gave me, but it doesn’t end there, by loving others without condition, I give the gift that He gives to me. The same is said about the music that I give, I give it back to God, honoring Him while singing out His truth that makes people know who He really is. A true gift from God has no financial upkeep cost to it, but blessings from God, that can cost us financially. Sometimes God blesses us with things and asks us to bless others, with the very same blessings, this is a financial cost, but not a financial drain. Jas 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
God gifted us with truth, His truth, let us not waste it or misconstrue it, let us do what God commanded us to do and search out His truth as if it were a pearl of great price. If you want God’s truth, it will cost you, you must study and research and learn His truth, seek the Holy Spirit who will guide you in all truth and never lie to you. When we start doing this, we will stop blaming God for our foolishness and start doing what God has told us to do, seek God’s face, not His hand, then watch how the blessings will flow, Amen!
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