My sister is known to throw extravagant, legendary parties. Her creativity and ingenuity are remarkable. Every year she plans her office Christmas Party, and I’m always eager to hear all about it. This year the Christmas party is the same day as the owner of the company’s 40th birthday. While discussing options for a gift, my sister stated, “What can you give someone who has everything? He’s rich, rich, rich and in need or want for nothing”. She decided upon a Marilyn Monroe impressionist singing “Happy Birthday, Mr. President”. We believe her boss will be pleasantly surprised.
Now that the Gifting Season is upon us, I began thinking about gifts for my husband, Vinnie. We have been together for almost 20 years. We are long passed impressing each other with beautifully wrapped treasures. And we are comfortable enough with saying, “we don’t need to get each other anything this year.” But since he gave me such a beautiful Mother’s Day Present this year, I kinda want to get him something special, which made me ponder again. “What do you get someone who is in need or want for nothing?”
At the very moment I was brainstorming, I believe the Holy Spirit prompted me to think,
“What would I give Jesus for Christmas, if I could literally give him a gift?”
This was both strange to me and exciting. It was strange because I never thought of this before and exciting because it was an enigma (mystery). I had to come up with a really good answer!
Jesus has it all. 1 Chronicles 29:11 states “For everything in Heaven and Earth is Yours”. At this point, I knew the Holy Spirit was not only searching my heart, but giving me something to write about and share with you. (I have had Writer’s Block” for a while now)
What do you give a King who calls things into existence? (Ro 4:17).
You might say, “That’s easy, He wants you to give Him yourself”, after all, isn’t that what He always wants from us? But I believe for You and Me at House on the Rock Church, this year, Jesus is calling us to give something very specific.
When Eve ate the apple, she was deceived (Gen 3:13). She wasn’t blatantly defying God. She was doing something she thought would be good for her and Adam. She thought she was doing something for herself that she could justify. She probably knew there would be consequences. She probably didn’t see her actions as sinful. Yet, in God’s eyes, Eve sinned.
What deeply rooted piece of yourself do you harbor and say it is good for you? What is that “One Thing” you can justify and accept the consequences for because you may not see it as sin. Yet, in God’s eye’s, it Is sin. I believe we need to invite the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and reveal to us what we should give.
2 Corinthians 11:3-4 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
When the Spirit reveals that "one thing" to you, don’t let your heart be hardened or dismayed. He will help you yield towards truth. The Refiner’s fire may burn and sting, but results in a lustrous silver and Gold. To give up a piece of yourself that you’ve concealed is a Gift Fit for a King, especially if He sees it as Sin.
