The Gift Rejected

[Rebecca Beasley]

Have you ever given someone a gift that they rejected? Just imagine this for a moment. You find the perfect gift for someone's birthday or Christmas, spend a lot of money or take a lot of pain in making it, and instead of them thanking you and receiving it joyfully, they throw it back into your face and say, no thanks, I don't want your gift.

How would that make you feel? I mean after all, you've taken special care to find something that they would enjoy, something that would improve their life, or something beautiful that you took the time to choose or make especially for this person and they rejected it? In some cultures to do such a thing would be the ultimate insult. It would be the same as if you slapped them in the face or spit on them!

When you don't receive the gift that Christ has for you, you're doing even worse than rejecting a gift that someone just bought at a store or made with their hands. You're rejecting the most perfect gift of all. This gift was purchased with his blood. He took all your sins upon himself, and defeated DEATH for you so you could be free from sin and have life that is abundant and joyous, even though it was YOU who deserved to die. He paid the price for you to live - with his own life.

Don't reject this gift for one more day. It's freely given. You don't have to clean yourself up or do anything to earn it. You wouldn't be able to earn if even if you tried. All you have to do is say, Thank You Jesus. I accept your gift and I appreciate it enough to try to do better. And I know that you will help me. And he will help you. He will take all the pain and the shame away and leave in it's place peace and joy. He'll do the cleaning up from the inside out.

All you have to do is accept it.
How can anyone say no to that?