"Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
James 1:16-18
One of my good friends said that we should always be grateful for what God is doing in our lives right here, right now. In fact, we should always have an attitude of gratitude, and this is why we call gifts, "presents", because this very moment is a gift from God. The scripture above tells us, that in light of good and perfect gifts, we must not be deceived. Meaning, we must remember who the sender is. It is very tempting during this holiday season we are quickly approaching to get caught up in deception and pride when it comes to the act of gift giving. Giving gifts in and of itself, is not a bad thing, but what our temptation often becomes, is to forget that "every good and perfect gift comes from above". During this season, we can get so caught up in tradition, and getting all these boxes checked, in order to have a perfect Thanksgiving, or a perfect Christmas. We get so burnt out and worn down rushing around, doing all this stuff, and we are tempted to forget the Sender of the gifts. We can even take is so far as to think that the bigger and better gifts I can give to my family and loved ones, that I am really doing something now, or I am really important, or even get caught up in thinking this is what love is all about. James warns us in the scripture above not to be deceived. It is easy for us to be given gifts of grace from the Lord in our lives, and just as easily to forget that He is the Sender of those gifts. It is a good practice to take some time and meditate on all good and perfect gifts from God we have in our lives. The ones that mean the most to me are not the material gifts, although I am thankful for them. The gifts of grace that I don't deserve, but Jesus gives me anyway, are the peace, joy, patience, mercy, and love in my life. When I focus on these gifts from above then I have the right directional perspective during this, often confusing and rushing, holiday season. When I keep God on His throne, and recognize that it is solely because of His grace and mercy in my life that I can walk in the freedom, peace, and joy today, then I am aligned with scripture and the gospel. It is the perspective that I can be a gift giver because I have received gifts from the ultimate Gift Giver. In light of this perspective, understanding that the Lord is the one giving the good and perfect gifts, then I can cultivate a contagious gratitude that will rub off on the people around me. And when we all can have a gratitude about our lives, this ultimately brings the glory to God that He deserves, and brings the gracious peace and joy to our lives! Today, take some time to meditate on the good and perfect gifts God has graciously brought into your life. Pray, with a thankful heart, and ask the Lord to cultivate a contagious attitude of glorifying the Lord, recognizing His goodness in your life. And allow this attitude to motivate you to serve others with gratitude and love in your heart! Love you all! Praying for you and yours! Have a blessed day, it's your choice!
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