Earn Your Christmas Gifts?
Read The Daily:
“Since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful.” – Hebrews 12:28
Think about Christmas as a kid. You opened your presents with zero thought of how to pay for them. You just enjoyed the gift. No five-year-olds grab a new bike and say, “Okay, Dad, what chores do I need to do to earn this?” That would ruin it. Yet we do that with God all the time. I personally think too many Christians struggle with enjoying the gifts from our Father. The gifts of eternal life or complete closeness with Him every single day. We all want to go back into payback mode because then it can still be a little about us. God’s love is a gift, not a transaction. He’s not standing over you with a clipboard waiting to see if you’ve prayed enough, served enough, or been “good enough.” The gift has already been paid for—by Him. All that’s left to do is enjoy it.
I love what one author shared a few months ago:
“So… what are you going to do now that you don’t have to do anything?”
When I first read that question in Gerhard Forde’s book “Justification by Faith”, it rocked my faith to the core. My first reaction wasn’t mild discomfort—it was hostile resistance. You can’t say that. There’s plenty we have to do. My whole spiritual operating system depended on it. Forde had the audacity to take justification seriously—seriously enough to follow it all the way to its scandalous conclusion. He wasn’t playing theological games. He meant it: before God, there is nothing left for you to do. Zero. Nada. It’s finished. You’re in.
For years, I bought the lie that the Christian life was all about work, not rest. Grit, not grace. Piety, not play. Doing more. Trying harder. Climbing higher. Getting better. It was exhausting, but at least it was familiar. My performance gave me a sense of control—not to mention superiority. Keep the rules. Hit the marks. Score the points. Rinse and repeat. Do you know what that means? It means you can quit the charade. Stop faking it. Stop negotiating with God like He’s your boss keeping score. Stop tying your worth to how “on fire” you feel—or how “holy” you’re becoming. God’s work for us is like breaking open a piñata full of candy. The hard part—breaking it—is already done. The Christian life is simply running around, gathering and enjoying the candy He’s poured out. It’s all grace. We don’t earn it; we receive it.
Prayer for the Day
God what are you showing me? What am I going to do about it?
God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?
Make sure you complete the reading or comment today.
Read The New Testament In A Year
That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.” “What things?” Jesus asked. “The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago. “Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.” Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.” Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. Luke 24:13-35
But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:10-17