A Gift Unused is a Useless Gift

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

                                                                                              -Romans 15:13

How long do you keep Christmas lights and outside decorations up after the holiday? How long does the Christmas tree stay in the house? How long do gifts stay under the tree before you use them or before you tuck them into a drawer? I recall one year that I bought my mom a really nice, expensive sweater. It was one that I knew she would like. It was her style, made of soft, warm material that she would love.

Well, a few months after Christmas, I discovered that she had not worn the sweater. In fact, it still had the tags on the garment from the store. So I asked her about it, thinking that maybe she didn’t like the sweater as much as I thought she would. She replied that she wanted to save the sweater to wear on special occasions. She said that it was such a nice garment, and was so cozy and comfortable that she didn’t want to excessively or prematurely wear it out.

This was somewhat confusing to me. She really liked the sweater. It was nice and comfy and it would be pleasant to wear whenever the occasion for a sweater was in order. I mean, that it what the sweater was for. Even though I assured her that it was okay to enjoy the sweater on a regular basis, she kept the garment in her closet, only using it for special events.

As I think about all that God has given, I wonder if there are people who do something similar as my mom did with her sweater. For example, Paul points out in Romans 15 some wonderful gifts from God in the blessings we read about today. It makes me wonder if we hear those words about joy and peace and then just tuck those aspects away for some a time to come.

God has given to us the ability to experience hope and peace through the gift of his son, Jesus Christ. He is the greatest, most precious gift that a person could ever receive. He fills our greatest need and is available to everyone who is willing to receive the gift of eternal life through his salvation.

What’s more, we are able to share this gift of God with others. Imagine being able to give someone the very thing they need the most. It only seems natural that we would want to give someone a gift that is useful and practical. Well, that’s what Jesus is. People carry the burden of sin in their lives and are cursed with its penalty. The gift of Jesus delivers us from our sin and frees us from its curse.   

So this Christmas, don’t take the most precious gift of all and store it away until the right occasion. Don’t look to wait until you feel the moment is right. Receive the gift of Jesus and embrace it the way God wants us to. Remember, in 2 Corinthians 6:2, the Apostle Paul proclaimed;

^“‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation”.

This gift isn’t just to be a stored or kept as a hidden treasure for special moments: God is calling us to embrace the gift of Jesus and give the gift of the Good News to the world. May you experience all of God’s hope and joy this Christmas—and share it with others!