The Greatest Gift

Today for Aly and Molly's 12 Days of Christmas the topic is the best / most meaningful gift you have ever received.




Today I am going to go all serious on you, because this one is easy for me - it would have to be the gift of grace. I know it probably sounds cliche but as we approach Thanksgiving and I think about what I am thankful for, there are so many things. But without grace the rest of it means nothing.

If Jesus had not taken on the form of a man and come to earth to save us sinners, I would still have lots of things, lots of really good things, but the truth is, it would all be meaningless, and what is worse, I would try to use all those other gifts to find satisfaction in my life. And I have found that trying to find meaning, happiness and fullness in life is not possible without Jesus. But oh man, do I try. To be dependent on a God that I cannot see or physically touch is one of the hardest things. It would be so much easier if my husband, or my family, or my financial security, or relationships, or stuff could do it. Because those things I can control (at least to some degree). I can see them and I can logically work out what I need to do to make them work. But God is not like that. And so I don't want to be dependent on something I can't control or can't always be sure that if I put A and B together I will get C.

And because of this, I try to find life in so many other places. I've tried making other good things the ultimate thing in my life. And in doing so I have turned my back on the very God who created me. Which is why the gift of grace, the gift of Christ, is the best gift I have ever received. It is not something I even remotely deserve, or anything I could ever pay back even a fraction of. To have someone die so that you don't have to is something that I don't think I will ever comprehend the enormity of. But receving this gift has changed everything. It has given me meaning, purpose, a fullness in life that nothing else could bring. It has changed my relationships, the way I spend my time and money, the way I view myself, the way I view others. It frees up the good things in my life to simply be good things, not things I depend on for my happiness or identity. Every other good thing is only good because of this gift. And so that I what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving, and that is why the gift of grace is easily, hands down, the greatest gift I've ever received.