Scripture — Ephesians 2:4-10

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8

We all like to receive gifts, right? For example, think of children on Christmas morning. They eagerly dig through gifts under the Christmas tree to find one with their name on it. Adults may hide their excitement, but they also like to receive gifts, don’t they?

I have to say I really struggled with how I should respond to a person who had come with a gift.

What should I do? I know the person needed that gift far more than we did. He struggled to make ends meet.

So, without the gift, I went back into the house. I told a pastor friend what had happened. He furrowed his brow, looked me in the eye, and said, “You did the wrong thing! You refused his gift.”

That stung. But he was right; I had done the wrong thing. Humbled, I went out to my neighbor, apologized to him, and accepted the gift.

I needed that humbling lesson. It takes grace to receive, a willingness not to be in control. Isn’t that what salvation is all about? We recognize our need for God’s gift of grace—and we receive it. And in receiving new life, how blessed we are!

(1 Corinthians 4:7) “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”

Prayer: We need the gift of your grace, O Lord. Give us the grace to receive your amazing gifts humbly and gratefully. Amen.