The
Bible tells us that everything we have are gifts from God. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift
comes from above.” (NKJV) Everything comes
from the Lord, our health, our financial status, our family, possessions,
everything. In fact, every day is a gift because our lives are measured in days
and the clock ticks each day off as we get closer to the time we will surely
die.
In
the New Testament, we are introduced to Job who is an honest man of God, an
innocent man who tried to stay away from evil.
Job was wealthy and happy with his large family. But suddenly he was tested
by the devil who reigned death and despair over him in hopes that Job would
curse God.
As
Job sat in an ash pile crying out in his despair, woeful and distressed,
friends questioned him relentlessly about his suffering and pain. They urged him to curse God and die. Job answered that while he suffered horribly
and did not know why he was being treated that way, he also praised the
goodness of the Lord.
Job
did eventually lose his family and everything he had but still he remained
faithful to God. In Job 1:21 it says, “And
he said: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of
the Lord.” (NKJV)
Job’s
story is interesting and it is a favorite among many. The takeaway from his story
is that we can own everything we want or need, but we can lose it all, too. God
is goodness, truth, and light. But sometimes we can lose everything we have
because of one poor action or decision and sometimes it’s not us who has done a
bad act, but a family member against us.
Chapter
23:10-11, Job answers, “But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested
me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept
His way and not turned aside.” (NKJV) In the end, Job was given a new family
and more than he had before.
This
story is a good one for us to read and compare with our own life. Has God
gifted you with financial stability, a beautiful family, countless friends and
a life to be delighted with? If we are
blessed with God’s gifts of family we want to take care to not squander our
days.
Sometimes
families fuss, fight, accuse, and ignore each other, never calling or visiting until
it is too late. We use excuses that we are busy with a job and children, but
the truth is we are selfish and caught up in the “me” attitude. We take
advantage of God’s gifts to us until the day comes and someone dies.
Our
commandment is to love God and others. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 states, “Love is
patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It
does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it
keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the
truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
(NIV)
Our
gifts are given to us with the intention for us to be grateful, thankful, and
content with one another. Life is short. Take care of your gifts and thank God for
your family. Sometimes we lose our
people through accidents, illness, or unexplained reasons. Reach out now to your gifts: your parents,
your brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, children, grandchildren, and those
friends you enjoy spending time with. And tell them, “I love you.”
Psalm
127:3 says, “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him.”
(NLT) And Luke reminds readers that “For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (NKJV).
Just
as Job lost everything he had been given, we too may lose our gifts. But unlike
Job, we may not be as fortunate to get those things or people back! Let’s
glorify God by making that phone call or text to those we love, write a letter,
or go visit your family (who are your gifts) today. Because all God’s gifts are
good! The holidays are coming, spend quality time with those you love, they will LOVE that gift!
