Everything I Give is a GIFT, Earned, BUT Not Worked For.
What? Well one morning the Lord woke me with this statement and said as you unpack it the truths there will set you into deeper freedom.
As always, the best place to start is the Word of God so let’s there:
James 1:17-18 (NIV)
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created”.
As we see in the above verse our Father knows how to give good gifts, and the biggest gift is our birth, into this world. Did you know that you yourself, are seen as a gift by God, to God, for Him? Wow! Just think about that for a moment, you yourself are viewed and seen by Father God, Creator God, Supreme God as a GIFT.
Did you know you are so special and crucial to His overall plan? Yes, but like all gifts He gives to us, there is a purpose in and for them. Your gift of birth into this world is that you might be a kind of first fruits of all He created, in other words you would be His Son or Daughter, a true reflection of Him, complete with his DNA.
Romans 8:29-30
New American Standard Bible
“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified”.
Wow! We are glorified by God. Glorified is defined as: to praise; magnify and honour in worship; to ascribe honour to, in thought or words. What a weighty word!
We glorified by our Father, is one of the best gifts He can give to us His children. It is priceless, and worth more than all the money or gold in the world. Remember you are WORTH EVERYTHING TO GOD that He gave up His Beloved Son to have you back restored to His heart, and with Him in Relationship.
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” John Piper
When Jesus was feeling the pressure and the weight of the task before Him? What did He do? He asked for His Father to Glorify His name (John 12:28)
His Father replied, “I have glorified it and will do again”. Why was the Father saying He had already done it?
The answer is in Matthew 3:17 Jesus’ baptism by John. During this the Father speaks out, “This is MY SON, and I AM WELL PLEASED with Him” These same words He speaks out over you.
When the Father releases his glory, supernatural things can happen! The Supernatural occurred in both these events: first Jesus entering ministry (the desert) and second Jesus overcoming the World (at the Cross)
Did you know that both of these times Jesus earned the gift the Father gave Him. How? He earned them with a heart decision, attitude and conviction. In other words, He earned because of OBEDIENCE. Obedience to what the Father was asking, leading, and inviting Him to do and become.
See our Father judges and rewards by what He sees in a man’s heart, not by what they do with their hands (which is works). This why salvation is the easiest but hardest thing for many to receive, for it simply does not fit with our worldly thoughts and way of thinking.
Now this isn’t new, remember in John 3:1-21, Nicodemus meets Jesus, and Jesus explains to him what being born again is like, and how to earn it. It’s interesting that this is where the confusion begins for Nicodemus, it’s over these words. As we know Jesus wasn’t perplexed or surprised by this confusion, instead He welcomed it and explained how Heavenly thinking, The Kingdom of God, is totally different from worldly thinking.
Key point: Every gift from the Lord is earned in Love and in relationship not by what you do, but by who you are.
Key point: The reward or gift has nothing to do with time. In Matthew 20:1-16, we have the parable about the vineyard owner who paid the same amount to workers who worked all day, as the ones who worked for the last hour.
Now let’s pause here as our flesh screams out that’s just not fair, right or just? Those workers who worked all day deserve more, as they gave more time, more effort, and it cost them more. This parable is a good test for us to examine and see where our hearts are truly at. Because even though this seems unfair to us, sit with this question for a minute: would the job have been completed without the last workers?
Did you know that The Lord will often release what you want to another who is beside you simply to see if your heart is in the right place for Him to give a gift to you? Wow! Let’s look again, the Lord will often release (give to someone else) what you want (desire, are asking for), because He cares more about seeing that your heart is in the right place. Why is that you ask?
Because He is a good Father and He wants to see His gift being glorified through His children, who are a witness and image bearer of Him to the world.
Here’s something we don’t like, but it’s true: The Father is always testing our character to see when He can release even more to us, so we may advance, and not be restricted by the more He gives us.
In Matthew we see this, Jesus in one verse, “ask and it will be given” and later “if you want ask then keep asking”. Now doesn’t that sound like a contradiction? Well yes in the worldly thought pattern, it is. But what Jesus is pointing out with the NEEDS, The Father will provide for them, but with the WANTS, He will only provide when your CHARACTER has the ability to handle the weight of responsibility, that will come with this new gift or blessing. Wow, what an Amazing and onto it Father we have, who cares so deeply about our character and who we are becoming that He will wait for the right timing to answer our desires.
What about lotto winners? What could happen when a major blessing like that is released to a person, whose character is not yet established to handle it. Well, most likely they will either lose the lot or been left in a worse condition. This is why the Lord will only release more when we have earned it, by building the character needed to handle it. And let’s be HONEST we all want MORE!
Challenge Time: Grab some space with the Lord and your journal and be transparent with Him.
1. Ask Him – What is restricting me from stepping into more?
Prayer like: Father I know you are a good Father and so want to pour more into my life. Father will you reveal to me what is holding me back or what changes I need to make? Thank you Father Amen
2. Decision Time: Are you going to apply it? The scriptures say, “obedience is greater than sacrifice”
3. Ask the Father to help you and strengthen you to do as He is inviting you to.
4. NOTE: If He highlighted more than one thing restricting you, carry on, and go back through steps 1-4 with Him until all are dealt with, for you are starting your transformation journey.
5. Give Thanks, Praise and Worship for all He is doing and continuing to do in your life.
Father, we thank you for Your Love and patience, your grace and forgiveness that we get each and every moment of our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen
