Recently my son had an unscheduled request to come to his boss’s office. He was working on a project that was encountering some challenges and his first thought was, ‘what kind of talk is this going to be?’

To both his surprise and relief, instead of being reprimanded he was rewarded for the hard work he was doing. We have all had those anxious occasions of not knowing how we measure up – whether at work, in our relationships, when followed by a police car, or even before the one we see daily in the mirror.

This occasion reminded me afresh how amazing, freeing, and certain are the blessings of God. They come to us not based on our working or measuring up to some expectation, but based on God freely gifting. In this article I would like to look at a few aspects of God’s gifting so we might be encouraged and our joy might be increased.

To begin, who are gifts given to? Typically, we give gifts to family and friends and sometimes in acts of kindness and love we give to strangers also. But God excelled in His giving by granting salvation not to family, friends, or strangers, but to his enemies (Romans 5:5-8,15-17); to those who do not even want or value his gift.

Sometimes we may be guilted into saying we like a gift or we may show kindness by saying we like it, but God accompanies his gift with a renewed mind and enlivened heart that enable us to truly value and gratefully receive the gift he is giving – our Lord Jesus Christ and his salvation.

Then, there are times when what we work for, or what we have been gifted, is for future use. We work and save for a vacation or retirement. We find a safe place for tickets gifted for a concert or other event, put it on the calendar, and wait expectantly for it. Yet unexpected changes may interrupt or even negate the gift.

Not so the gifts of God. They are as certain as the promises and eternality of our triune God. We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit as a seal of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13,14), which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven, and ready to be revealed at the right time (1 Peter 1:4-5).

Often the gifts we receive are for our personal enjoyment. God’s gift of salvation is indeed personal, having restored us to a relationship with him, but it is also for the benefit of others. We have been gifted for service to one another (1 Peter 4:10). Freely we have received, freely we are to give (Matthew 10:8).

Finally, at times we may forget the value of the gift and the heart of the giver. Riches and ease, or weakness and trials, may tempt us to look away from God as our great gift giver. Either may lead us to seek treasure for ourselves elsewhere.

At some point though, we discover that what we are working for falls short of our expectations. The only good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights in whom there is no shifting or no changing (James 1:17). Those who receive His gift will never be disappointed.

There is so much more that could be said. My encouragement to all of us is to meditate on the giftedness of salvation that comes from the great giver, our God and Father, through the gift of his son Jesus Christ and the giving of the Holy Spirit. Rest in it, be strengthened by it, boast in Christ because of it, and serve others in thankfulness for it.