My Gift

'Tis the season for this topic!  There is no better time to think and talk about gifts than at Christmas.  For the vast majority of Americans, Christmas is all about the gifts.  Find the right gifts.  Balance the gifts out exactly between everyone.  Lots of people take a look at what others are doing.  Trying to be consistent with what others are doing.  Keep up with the Joneses.  I don’t want anyone to be disappointed or left out.

On the other side, how do we think about gifts?  What are we expecting?  How will we react to what we get?  How will react if we don’t get what we expect?  Gifts are so much a part of the American Christmas season that we respond to it as a right or an entitlement.  Gifts are what we do at Christmas!  The retail economy of our nation keys off of gift giving as their most profitable time of the year.

How else did the idea of Santa come from his humble origins as a real guy named Nicholas who left gifts for poor children to be the global toy-making magnate magically located at the North Pole delivering gifts to all children (except perhaps some especially naughty ones) within a single night.

My expectations ran so high when I was a kid that I remember being terribly disappointed one year when my dad was out of work.  Don’t get me wrong.  We still had gifts, decorations, a tree and everything.  Honestly, our gifts that Christmas were as much or more than the majority of other kids.  Yet, I had this expectation of what my gift level was going to be, anything less than that would be a personal affront.  Those gifts were “mine.”  If they were withheld for any reason, it was an injustice.

I remember another Christmas gift disappointment as I got older.  We would usually go visit my grandparents after Christmas, so the gift I got from my grandmother was one of the last presents I would open.  I would kind of hang my hat on that last chance for a really cool gift since she made sure to get me something I had asked for specifically.  As I got older, either my grandmother’s finances got a little tighter, or she got a little older, or most likely because my grandfather had Alzheimer’s and his demands on her continued to increase even after he went to live in a nursing home, the gifts she would give were not quite as great as I remembered them to be.  Sometimes you’re embarrassed to unpack your old emotions.  I never remember saying anything horrible or having a tantrum or something that extreme, but I’m sure it was a bit hard on my grandmother when my face didn’t light up or I didn’t respond with gratitude.  I’m sorry that I withheld that “gift” that I could have and should have given my grandmother.

Christmas isn’t the only time that we get gifts though.  We enjoy and experience gifts in many facets of our lives.  I was fortunate enough to get some scholarships when I came to Clemson.  For scholarships that I got when I was under my parents roof, I was expected to write a thank you note.  That’s a reasonable expectation when someone is giving you money for free.

A couple of weeks ago, Melissa and I had to run up to the other side of Charlotte one evening.  There is an old Hoechst-Celanese plant right next to the interstate near Spartanburg.  I saw that old plant on the way back home, and I remembered again.  I got a moderate scholarship from Hoechst-Celanese one semester when I was an undergrad back in the early 90’s, twenty years ago or more now.  I never wrote a thank you note, I haven’t thought of that in a long time.  As we drove by that night, I could even remember the name of the man who signed the letter.  David Brown. 

Any time I’ve thought of my failure in gratitude in the past, I’ve confessed my sin and thank God for His forgiveness.  The fun thing about it this time is that I tried looking up David Brown.  In case you wondered, there are lots of David Brown’s.  I haven’t tracked him down yet, but I did find out that he went on to become a professor at Davidson College.  He retired a year ago.  I hope to get his contact information and then write him that thank you note that is so long overdue.

Just this week, I was reminded of a different kind of gift that I received.  I got my end of the year letter at work which has always been a form letter with a simple signature from our director or perhaps a “looking forward to next year” note.  This year, I got the form letter, but with a genuine thoughtful comment on it, words of appreciation and encouragement.  Not only that, since I get to pass out their letters, I found that the seven guys that work for me all had a personalized note.  That was a thoughtful gesture, so I told my director that it was very much worth the effort he had put in and that he may never know the value of it.

You see, I might not be standing here in front of you if it weren’t for that kind of effort.  I’ve told you before how I came to school at Clemson.  My father went to school here and I wanted to apply at least so that I would not hurt his feelings.  Of course, since I was living in eastern North Carolina at that time, I “knew” that I was going to NC State.  I visited both schools and found that I preferred the rural setting of Clemson to downtown Raleigh.  I’m sorry Jean, but green grass beats brick every day of the week.  But, much more important than that was the feeling that Clemson really wanted me when NC State seemed not to care one way or another.  I was welcome to come to State, but there was no personal connection.

Every scrap of paper I got from Clemson seemed to have a note on it from one man.  Jack Stevenson.  These overtures were never lengthy, nor were they especially profound.  In one case, he mentioned that over 400 students at Clemson came from North Carolina.  In another, he mentioned that they were looking forward to me joining them at Clemson.  It may seem like nothing, but for me, it changed my direction.

James wrote about the power of the tongue.  Usually, I think about that passage in terms of the danger of the tongue as “a world of evil among the parts of the body.”  (James 3:6)  However, the chapter opens addressing teachers and illustrates the power of the tongue, the power of our words.

Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  James 3:4

Among the mighty winds of my life at the time I decided where to go to school, God used about 100 words from a man that I never met in order to steer my ship into the safety of this port, this church.  What would my life look like if I were not here?  I am afraid to even consider it.

So, I reflect on those words written by Mr. Stevenson as a gift from him to me.  He was willing to give his time to write to me with no idea of the chances that any benefit would come from them.  Of course, I realized that I never wrote a thank you note for that either.  He retired when I was a student, so I thought that he may no longer be living.  I was grateful to find out from his office that he is living in Easley, and they were kind enough to provide his address.  So, I’ve got another thank you note to write.

So far, we have been talking about gifts that we give to one another.  But, there are many other gifts which we may or may not recognize as gifts.  One thing is our own abilities or talents.  There is a sense in which a talent or ability can be learned and developed.  One of the lines from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that sticks with me, and even sometimes haunts me, is when the character Lizzy is confronting Darcy about his cold demeanor.  When he tells her that it isn’t really his fault that he is not warm and friendly toward others because it’s not in his nature, Lizzy answers by saying that she does not play the piano so well as she would wish, but she always considered it her own fault for not practicing.

I won’t deny that how we apply and use our abilities and talents is in part our own choice.  Like any gift, our talents and abilities have to be received and used.  And yet, the dexterity or intellect or foundational elements of our ability or talent comes from our Creator.  Not everyone can be Michael Jordan.  God created him with a unique physiology with the capability to do things with a basketball that no one else could do.

I told Bob Schmitt one time that it was good to be a singer because it was a lot harder to be proud than playing an instrument.  Hearing notes and having breath to sing and having a voice quality that others can stand to listen to, all those things aren’t anything that a singer has control over.  How could you be proud of that?  Grateful, yes, but proud?  It just doesn’t make sense.

Bob responded that it was exactly the same for playing an instrument whether guitar or anything else.  You shouldn’t be proud to play proficiently.  Having hands that can play an instrument.  Having the discipline to practice and learn and improve.  These are not things that everyone has.  Our response should be one of gratitude.

Talents and abilities are gifts as well.  Instead of gifts between people, they are a gift from our Creator.  Psalm 100 makes this clear:

Serve the LORD with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful singing.

Know that the LORD Himself is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

And His courts with praise.

Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

For the LORD is good;

His lovingkindness is everlasting

And His faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100 NASB

It is indeed He who has made us and not we ourselves.  Therefore, we should bring our gratitude and praise to Him.  We should serve Him with our talents and abilities.  Carl had a beautiful word picture of how we should respond to God with what He has given to us, so I’m going to read it to you.

You may ask, “How would this affect how I live?” Well, one analogy that came to me involves gifts of clothing or jewelry you receive from your loved ones, such as family you don’t see very often. Have you ever chosen to wear something in such company that you rarely wear because they bought it for you and you want them to see you wearing it? There is nothing wrong with doing this – I believe it is a kind and loving thing to do. But what about the Lord? Do you even have some idea of what He has given you? Your personality, your abilities, your talents, your material blessings – what does it mean to “wear” them in front of the Lord? At a minimum I think it means that you are spending time with the Lord, thanking Him for these things. This to me is Thankfulness 101.

We also need to use those talents, abilities, and material blessings to serve Him, obey Him, and fulfill His commandments.  Let us bring Him glory on this earth.  Let us store up treasure in heaven.  Let us prepare to cast our crowns before the throne.  We bring glory to Him, not to ourselves.

I Peter 4 give us a “how to” for applying our gifts:

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

I Peter 4:10-11

Then, there is one category of gifts which we don’t like to talk about.  What about the gifts of discipline or hardship or difficult circumstances?  Are those gifts?  Hebrews is pretty clear about hardship:

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.  Hebrews 12:7-11

God is using the hard things for our good.  We have to trust Him.

I can’t think of a better example, but you have likely heard the story of Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsie, how they were taken into the concentration camps in Nazi Germany during World War II.  In one particular camp, they found that their entire barracks were infested with fleas.  Corrie wrote later:

We lay back, struggling against the nausea that swept over us from the reeking straw.

..Suddenly I sat up, striking my head on the cross-slats above. Something had pinched my leg.

“Fleas!” I cried. “Betsie, the place is swarming with them! Here! And here another one!” I wailed. “Betsie, how can we live in such a place!”

“Show us. Show us how.” It was said so matter of factly it took me a second to realize she was praying. More and more the distinction between prayer and the rest of life seemed to be vanishing for Betsie.

“Corrie!” she said excitedly. “He’s given us the answer! Before we asked, as He always does! In the Bible this morning. Where was it? Read that part again!”

I glanced down the long dim aisle to make sure no guard was in sight, then drew the Bible from its pouch. “It was in First Thessalonians,” I said. We were on our third complete reading of the New Testament since leaving Scheveningen.

In the feeble light I turned the pages. “Here it is: ‘Comfort the frightened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all…’” It seemed written expressly to Ravensbruck.

“Go on,” said Betsie.  “That wasn’t all.”

“Oh yes:”…“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.’”

“That’s it, Corrie! That’s His answer. ‘Give thanks in all circumstances!’ That’s what we can do. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks!” I stared at her; then around me at the dark, foul-aired room.

“Such as?” I said.

“Such as being assigned here together.”

I bit my lip. “Oh yes, Lord Jesus!”

“Such as what you’re holding in your hands.” I looked down at the Bible.

“Yes! Thank You, dear Lord, that there was no inspection when we entered here! Thank You for all these women, here in this room, who will meet You in these pages.”

“Yes,” said Betsie, “Thank You for the very crowding here. Since we’re packed so close, that many more will hear!”

She looked at me expectantly. “Corrie!” she prodded.

“Oh, all right. Thank You for the jammed, crammed, stuffed, packed suffocating crowds.”

“Thank You,” Betsie went on serenely, “for the fleas and for–”

The fleas! This was too much. “Betsie, there’s no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.”

“Give thanks in all circumstances,” she quoted.  “It doesn’t say, ‘in pleasant circumstances.’ Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.”

And so we stood between tiers of bunks and gave thanks for fleas. But this time I was sure Betsie was wrong.

Back at the barracks we formed yet another line–would there never be an end to columns and waits?–to receive our ladle of turnip soup in the center room. Then, as quickly as we could for the press of people, Betsie and I made our way to the rear of the dormitory room where we held our worship “service.” Around our own platform area there was not enough light to read the Bible, but back here a small light bulb cast a wan yellow circle on the wall, and here an ever larger group of women gathered.

They were services like no others, these times in Barracks 28.

At first Betsie and I called these meetings with great timidity. But as night after night went by and no guard ever came near us, we grew bolder. So many now wanted to join us that we held a second service after evening roll call.

There on the Lagerstrasse we were under rigid surveillance, guards in their warm wool capes marching constantly up and down. It was the same in the center room of the barracks: half a dozen guards or camp police always present. Yet in the large dormitory room there was almost no supervision at all. We did not understand it.

One evening I got back to the barracks late from a wood-gathering foray outside the walls. A light snow lay on the ground and it was hard to find the sticks and twigs with which a small stove was kept going in each room. Betsie was waiting for me, as always, so that we could wait through the food line together. Her eyes were twinkling.

“You’re looking extraordinarily pleased with yourself,” I told her.

“You know, we’ve never understood why we had so much freedom in the big room,” she said. “Well–I’ve found out.”

That afternoon, she said, there’d been confusion in her knitting group about sock sizes and they’d asked the supervisor to come and settle it.

“But she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t step through the door and neither would the guards. And you know why?”

Betsie could not keep the triumph from her voice: “Because of the fleas! That’s what she said, ‘That place is crawling with fleas!’”

My mind rushed back to our first hour in this place. I remembered Betsie’s bowed head, remembered her thanks to God for creatures I could see no use for.

I’m pretty sure none of you here today are sleeping with fleas.  However, I know that many of you are facing situations and challenges which seem incomprehensible now.  I don’t want to trivialize what anyone of you is going through.  However, we can strive to keep an eternal perspective about the things which we undergo and even the choices that we make.  I want to show a short video from Francis Chan which illustrates this very well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86dsfBbZfWs

God is working for our good now and for all eternity through all our circumstances.  That’s what Romans 8:28 tells us.  Not only should we trust Him, we should also give thanks to Him.  Why?  Because that is what He has told us to do unconditionally:

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  

--I Thessalonians 5:18

We’ve been talking about lots of different kinds of gifts this morning, but the title of this message is actually “My Gift” singular, not plural.  Let’s talk now about THE gift which makes all patience, perseverance, longsuffering, peace, joy, and love possible.

Jesus is God.  Jesus is God’s Son.  Jesus was sent by God.  He became flesh and dwelt among us.  He lived a life without sin.  He was the Lamb of God.  By His death, He became the sacrifice for our sins.  His death gives life to those who believe in Him.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.  Romans 5:12, 15-17

We die because of sin.  We were created by God as eternal and immortal.  However, the sin of the first man Adam caused us all to be bound to sin and death.  Now, there are many, many sins which have been done.  God did not leave us in our sin thankfully.  He sent His Son.  The gift of God is not like the result of sin which corrupted everything.  The gift of God has power.  It pushes back sin by justifying each one of us who believes in Him.  One Jesus, one life, one death, one resurrection, one Savior, one Lord.  Through His resurrection and eternal life, we can all be saved from death and resurrected to live with Him forever.

… the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Romans 6:23b

As any gift, it has to be received.  We do not work out our acceptance by God or His forgiveness by things that we do.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.  Ephesians 2:8

It is a gift alone.  We receive the gift by believing what God said.  We believe that Jesus is who He says He is, who He showed Himself to be.  He is the perfect sacrifice who died and rose again.  Jesus is the firstborn from the dead.  He will have many brothers and sisters. (Romans 8:29)

Those of us who have that gift, we have the opportunity to share that gift with others.  What a joy to see other lives touched and transformed by Jesus.  Let’s not hide this light, but let it shine so that others may see it and receive the gift as we ourselves have done.

I have a confession to make.  You guys on the music team, maybe you need to hold on to your hats.  I’ve found in the last year or so that I really enjoy listening to Southern gospel music.  You know quartets, four part harmonies, pianos, wide ties and funny suits.  There is something sweet about that music.  It has genuineness and earnestness.  I can see and hear faith in it and behind it.  There is also the expectation of eternity in the songs that I find missing from contemporary music.

So, I want to sing a song that God brought to my mind when I woke up yesterday morning.  It captures where we have come from and what He has done for us.  It makes me grateful to God and causes me to rejoice.  It points also to what we have become in Him.  The song is called Child of the King.  It goes like this:

Once I was clothed in the rags of my sin

Wretched and poor lost and lonely within

But with wondrous compassion the King of all Kings

In pity and love took me under His wings

Oh yes Oh yes I’m a child of the King

His royal blood now flows in my veins

And I who was wretched and poor now can sing

Praise God, praise God I’m a child of the King

And now I’m a child with a Heavenly home

My Holy Father has made me His own

And I’m washed in His blood and I’m clothed in His love

And someday I’ll sing with the angels above

Let’s pray:

Lord Jesus, You have made it possible that we could become children of God.  I rejoice in what You have done for us.  Help us to find others who need to hear about Your gift.  Give us hearts of love and compassion for them.  Show us how to share the gift that You have given us.  We rejoice in Your first coming through our celebration of Christmas.  Amen.