"Watch me ride!" God's Delight in Giving Us Gifts

Christmas 1976.  I was ten years old.

My parents had separated the year before and the divorce had recently become finalized.  My younger sister and I had settled into a routine, familiar to thousands of school-age children, spending one weekend with mom and one weekend with dad.  It had been a hard year.  

Our family met down at my grandfather's river cottage for Christmas.  After all the gifts had been opened, my mother asked me to get something out of the trunk of the car for her.  As I slid the key into the lock, my sister, my uncle, and my mom gathered around me.  A bit too excited, I thought.  But as the trunk popped open, I understood.  Lying there was a brand-new red and white ten-speed bicycle.  

Even this ten-year old girl knew that her schoolteacher single mom must have had to give up plenty in order to fulfill her daughter's dream of trading in the banana bike for a ten-speed.  What do you think I did next?  

Did I stand back and admire the bike? 

Did I close the trunk and say, "I'm not worthy of such a gift?" 

Did I reach into the pocket of my jeans and say, "How much do I owe you for the bike?" 

Did I shut the eyes and say, "That bike would be too much fun.  Why didn't you give me a broom and dustpan for Christmas?" 

Of course not. I squealed, jumped up and down, hugged my mom, and with the help of my "Uncle Wiggly," I pulled the bike out of the trunk and gave it a whirl.  Up and down the dirt road, helmetless, and long hair flying, along the Neuse River, I rode and rode and rode. And my mother smiled.  And smiled.  And smiled.

Many of us tentatively open our Father's trunk, his storehouse, filled with "every spiritual blessing."  We look at the beautiful gift he has offered us, and we say:

"That sure is a nice gift.  Too nice for me to use, actually." 

"For me?  That gift can't be for me.  I am too messed up.  I will never be good enough for that gift." 

"Wow! What a fantastic gift!  If you let me have that gift, I'll pay you back for it. I promise." 

"I would love that gift, but I would enjoy it too much.  Doing your will, Father, has to be miserable work.  If I'm ever going to serve you, I have to really hate what I'm doing. "

It seems ridiculous, but I'm guessing that many, many of us respond to the blessings, the gifts our Father offers us and respond in one of these ways. We are uninformed, even ignorant, about spiritual gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:1)  We think that they can't be for us.  We don't deserve them.  That somehow we have to earn the gifts God offers to us.  Or most commonly, if we served God, and actually enjoyed serving God, we would really be serving ourselves.

In reality God is a joyful Father who delights to give his children good gifts (Matthew 7:11), spiritual gifts  for His glory, to bless others,  and to bring us deep happiness.    

This post is part 3 of a 13-part series, a Virtual Book Club in which we read and discuss the book S.H.A.P.E.: Finding and Fulfilling Your Unique Purpose in Life, by Eric Rees.   In addition to my own study and experience, much of the material and many of the insights originate in this book.  If you'd like to join us for the VBC, you can find more information in the following posts. 

Welcome to S.H.A.P.E. You Are a Masterpiece with a Special Commission

You Are a Masterpiece with a Special Commission 

I invite you to join me and my friends over the next few months as we work together to find and fulfill our unique purpose for life.  It proves to be an exciting journey!

Over the next few days, join me back here for the following:

• What are spiritual gifts? 
• Why does God give spiritual gifts?
• What are YOUR spiritual gifts?
• Using Your Spiritual Gifts
• Strengthening Your Spiritual Gifts

Now, it's time to hear from you.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, get your impressions.  Could you identify with that ten-year old girl?  What keeps you from accepting the good gifts God gives you?  

Let's get the discussion going.