WHAT DO YOU HAVE THAT

YOU DID NOT RECEIVE?’ 1 CORINTHIANS 4:7 NAS
Giving to GodThe story is told of a wealthy man who enjoyed buying his father unusual gifts for Christmas. One Christmas he found a unique gift: a talking bird that spoke five languages and sang the National Anthem standing on one foot. It cost £10,000. But the man didn’t mind. So he purchased the bird and sent it to his dad for Christmas. A few days after Christmas he went over to his father’s house to see how he was enjoying his gift. He said, ‘Dad, did you get my present?’ ‘I sure did,’ his father said. ‘How’d you like it?’ His dad replied, ‘It was delicious, we had it for Christmas dinner!’ His dad obviously missed the point. He treated as ordinary, a gift that was very special. Too often that’s how we treat the blessings God gives us. Paul asks, ‘What do you have that you did not receive?’ Everything we have, including the breath in our lungs, is a gift from God! And James adds: ‘Every good thing bestowed…is from above, coming down from the Father…’ (James 1:17 NAS). We can’t even begin to talk about stewardship without first being reminded that we have been given everything, including the money entrusted to us. So anything we give back to God, is just returning to Him a small part of what He’s given to us. Try to remember that next time the offering plate goes by in church!