GIFTS

Gary Chapman wrote a book The Five Love Languages. These "languages" are physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service and gifts. Chapman says "The giving and receiving of gifts can be a powerful expression of love, at the time they are given and often extending into later years." Gifts is not my primary love language, quality time is, but sometimes I really enjoy gifts. I like it when the person gives the gift for no special occasion, you know birthday, Valentine's, Christmas or to say thank you but a gift just because they love me or were thinking of me.

I have a co-worker who gave me several garments among them an ensemble that I wore to a wedding, a duster that I wore to a 50th birthday bash and a classic outfit that I wore to a funeral. The items have designer labels from stores that I do not shop. She gave me these items out of the kindness of her heart. I did not do anything to deserve them and she gave them without expecting anything in return. A true gift.

My pastor's Easter, I prefer to use Resurrection but that's for another blog, sermon brought to mind again that Jesus offers us the gift of salvation. It is not something that we "earn." We can see that as we look at the thief on the cross with Jesus. He had been convicted of some bad stuff to get the penalty of death on a cross.

Yet while on the cross he cam to realize:
He should fear God. (Luke 23:40)
Fearing God shows wisdom. (Psalm 111:10)
He was guilty as charged but Jesus was not. (Luke 23:41)
He felt that Jesus could "do something" for him (Luke 23:42)

Jesus "did something" for him, He promised him that he would be with Him that day in paradise. The thief was going to heaven. He was not baptized, didn't have the opportunity to do good works or have communion. He did not do anything to earn the right to go to heaven. Jesus gave him this gift because He cared about the thief. A true gift.

I'm glad Jesus' love language is gifts.


By the way, I think that God uses the language that speaks to us. I just used gifts to fit the theme of the blog :)