Trying to Find the Best Gift

Many years ago I worked for Lillian Vernon who built a hugely successful mail order business. Lillian had a knack for choosing things to put in her catalog that women wanted. When asked for the secret to her success she said, “I put things in the catalog that I want for myself.” For you guys out there who are smiling thinking this means you can buy your wife a new chainsaw for Christmas, remember Lillian was a woman selling to women. Forget about the chainsaw. What is the best gift you've ever been given? Do you even remember what gifts you got last year for Christmas? If not, that may be because of a poor memory rather than poor gifts. But it is interesting to think about how much time, energy, effort and expense we expend for gifts that don’t have a lasting impact in people’s lives. I spent some time thinking about what the Bible has to say about gifts. Many gifts in the Bible are intangibles like the gift of grace or peace. There’s one gift that’s mentioned a significant number of times, the gift of life. Let’s consider three aspects of this gift of life, arguably the best gift ever given.

Three Aspects of Life, The Best Gift Ever Given

1. God the Father gave us our beginning in life. The miracle of life is controlled by God and experienced each time a baby is born Psalm 139:13.
2. Jesus gives eternal life to those who believe in Him John 10:28.
3. Jesus makes it possible for us to live an abundant life now John 10:10 and desires that we live a peaceful and quiet life 1 Timothy 2:2.

Often we don’t appreciate something until it is gone. Let’s not make that mistake with the wonder of life itself. Here are four suggestions for appreciating life, the best gift we've ever been given.

1. Give thanks to the Father for another day of life for you and your loved ones. Say it like you mean it.
2. Worship the Father for the blessings of life, for joy and peace. For those of us in the US praise Him for the abundance of material blessings we enjoy.
3. Use your time wisely. Pray like the Psalmist, “teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
4. Enjoy life with God at the center.

[Tweet "Life is the best gift the Father has ever given you"] What is a blessing of life you've experienced lately? Please leave a comment or question below.