We’re coming off the biggest gift giving holiday of the year, Christmas, and heading into the biggest gift return day in the New Year, christened “National Returns Day.” According to the National Retail Federation, each year approximately 67,000,000 gifts given at Christmas will be returned. The total amount sent back runs nearly $900 billion in returns each year — about 1/38 of the US National Debt. The volume in returns speaks to the volume in purchases. Wow!
Now, there are various reasons for returns. The number one being the return of clothing because it just isn’t the right fit. Coming in second is the gift people receive that they simply don’t want or don’t like. I get the clothing thing – it’s hard to buy the right size for someone else when sizes are not regulated. I also get the unwanted/not liked thing – everyone has different taste.
We all know how much time and effort (sometimes fretting) goes into buying the perfect gift. We’ve all exhausted countless hours trying to think of just the right gift. We’ve spent days running from here to there searching for something particularly pleasing. And we’ve all spent way too much money on it when we’ve finally found it. Why do we do it? Sometimes it’s because we feel like we have to, but I like to think that the majority of the time we do it because we love to. I truly love giving gifts, but that doesn’t mean that it is effortless. In fact, sometimes it’s downright hard to find just the perfect gift, especially for some folks.
Now we have all had a hard person here or there in our life to buy a gift for. Don’t say you never have…It may be someone who is indifferent about every gift, unappreciative, or unresponsive.
Maybe when the receiver opened the gift they put it aside without a word. Maybe when the receiver opened it they said “that’s nice” (we all know what that means). Maybe the receiver flat out said they didn’t like the gift. Maybe the receiver asked if you got a gift receipt.
When we’ve searched for a gift that is a particularly pleasing gift and we’ve given it everything we have, sacrificed our time, our energy, our hard-earned dollars and found what we believe to be “the” perfect gift, one of immense value (not monetary) and it’s rejected, how does that make us feel? We’ve all been there.
A friend reminded me recently that we’ve all been on the giving side of the Christmas gift scenario, but, whether we realize it or not, we’ve all been on the receiving end of that gift giving scenario too. Never, you say? Let’s think about it for a minute. And let’s think beyond the gift with the shiny paper and big bow. Might I make a few suggestions?
How about the gift of salvation?
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23
How about the gift of faith?
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
How about the gift of forgiveness?
But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:15-16
How about the gift of eternal life?
Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Anyone who hears should say, “Come!” And the one who is thirsty should come. Whoever desires should take the living water as a gift.
Revelation 22:17
How about the gift of peace?
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
John 14:27
How about the gift of God’s Word?
Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
Romans 15:4
How about the gift of Jesus?
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17
These are just a few of the gifts God has given us. Of course, the ultimate gift through which all other gifts come is the gift of His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ. I think we can all agree that God is an amazing gift-giver and the gifts He gives are particularly pleasing.
I think it’s worth pondering though how God feels when His perfect gift to the world, Jesus Christ, through whom salvation, faith, peace, eternal life, the scriptures, and every other good gift flows from is treated with indifference, lack of appreciation, lack of use, outright rejection, or maybe even returned to the giver for an exchange.
Again, some of us are hopping right up and saying, I never did any of that. And I gently say friend, yes, you have. We all have. We’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, that’s why we so desperately need the good gift of Jesus Christ and the gifts that come with having a relationship with Him.
As we head into the New Year, let us commit to accepting the gifts God has given us. Let us not be unresponsive, indifferent, unappreciative, apathetic, neglectful, idle. Let us not request a gift-receipt to exchange for a “gift” that will never fit, never satisfy, never fill the void that only Jesus Christ can.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
God has given us the perfect gift. Don’t return or exchange it this year. Use it, use all of it!