Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17)
February is one of those major "birthday months" in our family, and I've been thinking/praying for weeks now about the perfect gift for my husband, Al, and our second son, Michael. Of course, since both are golf fanatics, I have some appropriate ideas dancing around in my head. But will they be the perfect gift? I'm afraid not, for the perfect gift comes only from the Father.
Because we care, we spend time searching for nice gifts for friends and family members, but the Bible tells us that EVERY perfect gift comes from God. Because I'm not perfect, I have no problem believing that my gifts aren't perfect. However, I have to confess that I've often considered them "good." And yet the Scriptures also tell us that every good gift also comes from the Father. So now I'm faced with the fact that my gifts are not only imperfect, but they're also not good!
Still, didn't Jesus Himself say, "No one is good but One, that is, God" (Matthew 19:17)? That's a tough statement to assimilate, isn't it? Don't we all like to think of ourselves as basically good people? And if our measuring stick for "good" is to compare ourselves against Adolph Hitler or Charles Manson, then I suppose we come out on top. But God doesn't use other human beings as His standard for measuring good or evil. His only standard for good is Jesus-meaning, to be considered good we must also be perfect, just like Jesus. Anyone fall into that category? I didn't think so.
I know a lot of nice people, and I hope others consider me such. But nice and good are not the same thing. Apart from Jesus living His life in and through me, there is nothing good in me at all, and I certainly don't qualify for perfect. And yet good and perfect-and sinless-is what is required for us to one day enter into God's presence. It stands to reason, therefore, that when we take our last breath and step from this broken, sin-filled world into the presence of the Father, we had better do so with the goodness and perfection of the Son as our calling card.
God the Father has sent us that good and perfect gift of Jesus to enable us to spend eternity with Him. It is a Gift we dare not refuse, for it is the only one that qualifies. May we not only reassure ourselves that we have personally received that Gift, but may we also rededicate ourselves to offering it to as many others as possible!
February is one of those major "birthday months" in our family, and I've been thinking/praying for weeks now about the perfect gift for my husband, Al, and our second son, Michael. Of course, since both are golf fanatics, I have some appropriate ideas dancing around in my head. But will they be the perfect gift? I'm afraid not, for the perfect gift comes only from the Father.
Because we care, we spend time searching for nice gifts for friends and family members, but the Bible tells us that EVERY perfect gift comes from God. Because I'm not perfect, I have no problem believing that my gifts aren't perfect. However, I have to confess that I've often considered them "good." And yet the Scriptures also tell us that every good gift also comes from the Father. So now I'm faced with the fact that my gifts are not only imperfect, but they're also not good!
Still, didn't Jesus Himself say, "No one is good but One, that is, God" (Matthew 19:17)? That's a tough statement to assimilate, isn't it? Don't we all like to think of ourselves as basically good people? And if our measuring stick for "good" is to compare ourselves against Adolph Hitler or Charles Manson, then I suppose we come out on top. But God doesn't use other human beings as His standard for measuring good or evil. His only standard for good is Jesus-meaning, to be considered good we must also be perfect, just like Jesus. Anyone fall into that category? I didn't think so.
I know a lot of nice people, and I hope others consider me such. But nice and good are not the same thing. Apart from Jesus living His life in and through me, there is nothing good in me at all, and I certainly don't qualify for perfect. And yet good and perfect-and sinless-is what is required for us to one day enter into God's presence. It stands to reason, therefore, that when we take our last breath and step from this broken, sin-filled world into the presence of the Father, we had better do so with the goodness and perfection of the Son as our calling card.
God the Father has sent us that good and perfect gift of Jesus to enable us to spend eternity with Him. It is a Gift we dare not refuse, for it is the only one that qualifies. May we not only reassure ourselves that we have personally received that Gift, but may we also rededicate ourselves to offering it to as many others as possible!
About the Author:
Take a look at Kathi's Website for more information about Kathi and her new book How Can I Run a Tight Ship When I'm Surrounded by Loose Cannons
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