The Gift

"I have the gift, and I give the gift to Ruth and Loralee and Olivia. Who has the gift?" As I was having my devotions this morning, memories of this game, "the gift," came to mind. To all you poor people who don't know the secret of the gift game, I'm not going to spoil it for you, keep trying to figure it out, but I wanted to share a little lesson that occurred to me for the first time today.

Christ has given us an immeasurable gift. The gift of redemption and of eternal life. If we really have His gift, it will change us and fill us and pour out to others.

 As the plan of redemption begins and ends with a gift, so it is to be carried forward. The same spirit of sacrifice which purchased salvation for us will dwell in the hearts of all who become partakers of the heavenly gift. Says the apostle Peter: "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." Said Jesus to His disciples as He sent them forth: "Freely ye have received, freely give." In him who is fully in sympathy with Christ there can be nothing selfish or exclusive. He who drinks of the living water will find that it is "in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." The Spirit of Christ within him is like a spring welling up in the desert, flowing to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish, eager to drink of the water of life. It was the same spirit of love and self-sacrifice which dwelt in Christ that impelled the apostle Paul to his manifold labors. "I am debtor," he says, "both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise." "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."  {5T 730.4} 

So this morning, I thought to myself, "Do I have the Gift?" Yet perhaps a better question would be, "Have you received the Gift? Have I shared my Gift with you?"