Have you ever had someone give you something you really didn’t want or like? You say “thank you” and then try to figure out what to do with it. You can’t take it to the church welfare center lest they see it there. Usually it ends up on a shelf or in a drawer and if you are lucky you can regift it. I’ve never been much of a regifter. Somehow it seems cheesy to give someone something you don’t like just to get rid of it. We have a table in our department where we put things for our students to take if they want them. I like that. The person who gets it wants it.
There is the gift of salvation. I have spent my life trying to regift it. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t that I don’t like it or want it. Wow – quite to the contrary! I love it. I want it. That’s the point. I think it is so great I want everyone to have it. Salvation is one of those wondrous things you can regift and yet still have it. Better yet you can keep on regifting because there is always more. There is an abundance for everyone. It is like Bartholomew Cubbins many hats. As fast as he could take them off another hat appeared.
Giving away salvation is not as easy as it sounds. There is a natural human tendency to want to do things for ourselves. Part of “Pride of Ownership” is having earned it. Sorry, this is one area where it is all gift. We receive it because God loves us. It is a great thing to keep. It gets even better if we regift it. Please see the end of Ephesians 2.
Written by Roger Bothwell on August 19, 2010
Spring of Life Ministry, PO 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org