Originally published Friday, 26 July 2013.
Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. Romans 3:24 (MSG)
I walked into the hospital room and handed my husband a gift.
After all he had just been born again in a medical sense (stem cell transplants like the one my husband just had are sometimes referred to in this way) and I thought his birth was worth celebrating.
He opened the box and exclaimed, “I don’t deserve this!”
I thought about how many times I’ve said exactly the same thing to God. How many times God has given me a gift and my first response has been, “But God, I don’t deserve this!”
I could think of at least ten reasons off the top of my head why my husband deserved this gift but even if I couldn’t it wouldn’t have mattered.
A gift isn’t given because of merit it is awarded out of love. (tweet this)
God, through Jesus, has given us a gift that we don’t deserve.
We don’t deserve grace.
We haven’t earned God’s mercy.
We have done nothing to be called the children of God.
God has given us all these gifts, and more, simply because he loves us.
These gifts are ours to keep even we mess up, even we stomp our feet and tell God that we hate him, even on our best days when we reflect him mirror.
We don’t earn grace, mercy or a position in God’s family. God gives it. (tweet this)
I don't know what gift God has given you that you think you don't deserve but Romans 3:24 reminds us that God has restored us to exactly where he wants us to be so I'm pretty sure whatever gift God's given you doesn't come with a return policy.
Just like I gave my husband a gift because I love him, God has gives us gifts out of pure love.
God has given us a gift that we didn’t earn and which we cannot return, a gift that only requires us to say, “thank you.”
Ponder: When was the last time you thanked God for giving you grace, mercy and calling you his own?
Prayer: God, I’m blown away by the gifts you have given me. Thank you for grace, mercy and calling me your own. Amen.
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