Our Gifts to God

Christmas offers us a chance to reflect on the birth of Jesus. This is largely the focus of our holiday season—praising and thanking God for the gift of His Son. Even outside of Christmas, a lot of the time we focus on what God gives us. Salvation, grace, blessings, favor, provision, faithfulness…the list goes on. All of these things He is worthy to be praised for!

Today, however, I want to explore a different avenue of giving. Instead of looking at what God gives us, I want to share a list of things we can give God, simply by the way we live our lives.  
 
The Gift of Trust
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

When the angel gave word to Mary that she was to become pregnant with Jesus, he said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. … Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God.” (Luke 1:28, 30)

She may not have understood God’s timing or why her? But she answered with faith and trust in the Lord: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38)

This kind of absolute trust is a precious gift to God. It’s okay if we don’t understand our situation or what God is calling us to do—we simply have to have faith that He will make our paths straight when we trust in Him. “For no word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 1:37)
 
The Gift of Obedience
“If you love Me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15

Once Joseph learned of Mary’s pregnancy, he had to make a choice: divorce her quietly, or obey the Lord when an angel told him in a dream, “Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

He could have said no. Although their engagement was legally binding, hence the need for a divorce if he chose to leave, he wasn’t the child’s father. Everyone would view them as scandalous. Yet here was God, telling him that everything would be okay, and to go ahead with their marriage.

Despite his knee-jerk reaction to divorce Mary, Joseph listened to the Lord when He spoke. “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.” (Matthew 1:24)

Our obedience is evidence of our faith. As James wrote, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” (James 2:18) In other words, we act out our faith and trust in the Lord by obeying what He says. We cannot say we trust Him and yet turn the other way when He directs us. Our obedience is honoring to the Lord, and a gift to Him. It’s a simple way to show the Lord we love Him.
 
The Gift of Praise
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Psalm 50:6

On the night of Jesus’ birth, angels announced the good news to a group of shepherds, saying “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. … Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” (Luke 2:11, 14)

Immediately the shepherds went in search of Jesus. Their joy overflowed and it says, “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen…” (Luke 1:20)

The promised Messiah had arrived; their hope, their Savior, their King. How could they do anything but rejoice? As shepherds, the lowest on the social ladder of that time, they had nothing to offer Jesus but their words of praise and thanks.

In Hosea the Lord says, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6) More than anything we can give, God wants our hearts. It is the greatest gift we can give to God—our hearts, as well as our praise. 
 
The Gift of Sacrifice
“Therefore, I urge you, bothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1

Wise men traveled from the east in search of Jesus, and “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

Their gift of praise was accompanied by a gift of sacrifice: they gave him their treasure, which was of great value. Sacrifice doesn’t always mean we give our money, however. For example, another form of sacrifice would be choosing to spend extra time in prayer or volunteering at a church event, instead of scrolling Pinterest or pleasure shopping. While there is nothing wrong with those things, this gift of sacrifice is another way to express our love for God, and another way to worship Him.
 
The Gift of Dedication
“Jesus answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27

Jesus held nothing back for us. He lived a servant’s life and He died a criminal’s death, despite being sinless. His resurrection defeated death and opened the way for reconciliation and an eternity with God—a priceless gift. In return, God asks us to surrender to Him as King of our lives, and to love Him. After He gave it all for us, how can we do anything but live our lives for Him?

In the mundane and in the everyday, we have an opportunity to live lives dedicated to the Lord. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
           
 
The Gift of Service
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

Did you know that God rejoices in doing good to you? The Lord says in Jeremiah, “I will make an everlasting covenant with them; I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.” (Jeremiah 32:40-41)

Everyone knows how good it feels to give a gift that is enjoyed and treasured by the recipient. Even God! If we are happy when God gives us good things, imagine how happy He is. Making others happy also has a reverse effect—it makes us happy too. In the same way, when we offer a gift of service to God, we are not only pleasing the Lord but are filled with joy.

Serving the Lord can look different for everyone—leading a Bible study, offering encouragement and prayers, helping a friend in need. Yet the result is the same: our service is a gift to God, and giving this gift will produce joy in our hearts as well.