Rebecca Tellinghuisen

During Advent the devotional series asked how you would receive the Gift. On Christmas we asked “How will you remember it?” Now with Epiphany approaching, it is time to reflect on what the Gift means for us going forward.

During Advent the devotional series asked how you would receive the Gift. The question now is, “How will you remember it?” 

Gifts aren’t given in a vacuum. They always happen in the context of a relationship whether it’s parent and child, two best friends, or a church member and the “6-year-old girl” on an Angel Tree card. There is always a connection between giver and receiver. And there is always intention. If the intention is to bless (recall God’s call to Abraham), then we will keep giving in order to keep blessing. Call it “spiritual re-gifting.”

One can read Scripture and come away with many questions, for sure. Those expecting a step-by step handbook for navigating each and every situation life will throw at them are going to be disappointed. But we are given a model that will indeed serve us to face each and every day of our lives. Everything Jesus did in this life was a gift. And the witness we have in Scripture of his life is a gift. Do you want to know how the Christian life “works?” Look at Jesus. He knows, and we can know too.

While many gifts aren’t truly needed, we do have needs, though we might feel uncomfortable admitting that. From a biblical perspective, we all have a need. In fact, it’s the same need. But we might struggle to admit that as well. Do I really need a savior? Surely, I’m not that bad?

Every year at Advent, we are asked to make room for our Savior. Whether we welcome him or not is a matter of recognizing our need. 

Not every gift is experienced as a gift. Gifts are generally seen as positive things, the result of thoughtfulness and generosity. But not always…It is better to give than to receive, as we’ve all been told. But when it comes to this Gift, it is necessary to receive. And how we receive this Gift is everything. What kind of gift-receiver are you?