I recently asked a group of children at my church whether they had ever received a gift they felt like they didn't deserve. Several raised their hands, all of them older. It's a shame to see this happen as a child grows. Although it is good that our children don't take things for granted, it's heartbreaking as a father to see a child struggling to receive a gift.
My yearly Bible reading plan puts me at this time of year in the book of Revelation. You may recall the second and third chapters of this book, in which the risen Lord Jesus both chastises and encourages seven churches in Asia minor, which also happen to represent Christians at various stages in their walk. The first church Jesus addresses is the Ephesians: those who have "lost their first love" (Revelation 2:4). Does this describe you today?
The Lord placed on my heart today a clear reminder of the feeling I had while I was "being saved" (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18). So grateful and joyful, tears streaming down my face... I could remember it like it was yesterday.
What happened?
As the years go by, some of us just tend to get hardened. Whether it be by sin (cf. Hebrews 3:13), cultivating a Pharisaical spirit (cf. Luke 15:25-30), trying to please God through obeying the "law" (cf. Galatians 5:4), or simply the cares of this life (cf. Matthew 13:22), our heart becomes hardened and we no longer receive the gift of our salvation as a little child (cf. Mark 10:15).
It's not naturally easy to receive an enormous, un-repayable gift, but eternity rests on whether or not we are able to do so. Some of us need to get back to basics. Jesus goes on to tell the church at Ephesus to "remember from where they had fallen, and repent" (Revelation 2:5)
When we humble and stir ourselves to remember the gift within us (cf. 2 Timothy 1:6b), that gift is kindled afresh, and we will soon find that our once cold hearts will burn again with love for our Savior. Once we "freely receive", we are then able to "freely give", eager to share God's unspeakable Good News with anyone who will listen.
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