REGIFTING-AGAIN
- Philippians 2:1 through Philippians 2:2 (NIV) 1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
Notice the if/then concept.If we have received then we should give all these things to others.
It’s the concept of regifting. Scripturally speaking it is our mandate. If we have gotten all these gifts we need to wrap it up and pass it on.
But, but they don’t deserve it...
- They don’t deserve my forgiveness
- They don’t deserve to be happy
- They don’t deserve tenderness and compassion
You’re right…but neither did you. Go back to what we have been reading in Romans. We were not deserving of anything.
- Romans 5:6 through Romans 5:8 (NCV) 6When we were unable to help ourselves, at the moment of our need, Christ died for us, although we were living against God. 7Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die. 8But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
God wants us to recognize that our responsibility is to regift what He has given us even if they don’t deserve it.It requires a whole other way of thinking. Jesus doesn’t want us to fall into the selfish mindset of keeping all the gifts to ourselves, he wants us to shift our thinking. SAVORINGThe Christmas season is not about you and what you want or don’t want, it is about Christmas mission. Are you Christmas vacation or Christmas mission?