Gifts

There are different kinds of gifts.

There is the gift for a gift, gift. This is the gift we give to someone because he gave us a gift.  We receive this gift unexpectedly and try to figure out how much it cost and go to the store and buy a gift for about that same price to give in return.

This gets really ridiculous when it comes to gift cards.  Have you ever given someone a $25 gift card and received a $25 gift card in return? 

Some do this with Christmas cards, too.  I’ve got a friend who doesn’t keep a Christmas card list.  He just waits until he gets a card in the mail, and then he uses the return address to fill out one of his cards and puts it in the mail.  Don’t you hate getting a Christmas card from someone on Christmas Eve from somebody who wasn’t on your list?  What do you do? This is the gift for a gift, gift.

There is the gift for a favor gift. The person who gives this gift doesn’t expect another gift in return.  They just expect you to do something nice for them. Ever received the gift for a favor gift and thought, “I don’t know if this is worth it?”

There is the gift of love gift. This is the gift Jesus spoke of when he said, "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil" (Luke 6:35). Christian love overflows with gifts with no strings attached. This Christmas, as you are giving gifts, ask yourself, what kinds of gifts am I giving?

Drew Kizer