Before any birthday party or the annual mayhem of Christmas morning, I always prepare my children for what to say when they open a present. I tell them that no matter what they open — whether it is something they like or not — they are to smile and say, “Thank you,” to the giver.
No matter how old we are, it’s always fun to receive a gift. However, as adults we know that though something is wrapped pretty on the outside, it might fail to deliver on the inside. While other gifts, like the ones our children might wrap for us, look wrinkled, bent, and worn, yet contain the sweetest and most precious handmade creations.
God gives many gifts to us as his adopted children. Our salvation is a gift of God’s grace that we cherish and celebrate every day. It’s never bitter. But salvation’s not the only gift God gives us. He also graces us in our sanctification. It’s a gift that is often not wrapped up with a pretty bow. Sometimes this gift is one that we treat like an unwanted Christmas sweater or a well-meaning fruitcake. We might not even recognize it is a gift at all.
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