Don't Forget the Giver

For most kids in America, Christmas time is all about the gift-giving experience - and understandably so.  Even as an adult I greatly enjoy receiving gifts.  There is excitement and anticipation as the paper is torn back and the gift comes into view.  And the joy of parents is many times greater as they watch a child open a gift they know that child will love. 

As Christian parents, we teach our children a couple of lessons to help keep the focus of the season in line.  First, we constantly remind them to say "thank you" to whoever gave the gift.  My wife's family has a wonderful tradition; each person actually gets up after every gift and gives a hug to the giver.  And even though our growing families make the gift exchange time a bit longer each year - it teaches our children to be grateful, and not to focus solely on the gift.  Second, we focus on Christ as the ultimate gift.  Our children must learn that the gift God gave us in Christ -  that brought redeeming grace to us His children - is the greatest gift that has ever, or will ever, be given.

Sadly, even Christians at times do not fully embrace how these two lessons fit together.  We forget to celebrate and give thanks to God the Father, who "so loved the world that he gave his only son..."  In Philippians 2:5-11, Paul penned what is often referred to as the "hymn of Christ."  It is a beautiful description of our salvation through Christ's humility and fits wonderfully with the season of Christmas.

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)

The final phrase (which I bolded) tells us that God's ultimate gift to mankind - that of sending His eternal Son to be one of us - was given "to the glory of God the Father." Another passage phrases it "to the praise of his glorious grace" (Ephesians 1:6).  Yes, God the Father gave us Christ that we might enjoy the blessings of His glorious redemption; but even more so that His Name would be glorified. This season, let us enjoy the presents from our loved ones; but let us also look past them to the Ultimate Gift, and to the Giver "from Whom all blessings flow."  As our Lord taught us to pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name" (Matthew 6:9), let us hallow His name this season and thank Him for sending to us that Gift of gifts - our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Street View

     I have to admit, I have a slight addiction to Google and all that it has to offer. I am the guy that looks for their beta (test) versions of some of their apps and provides feedback on what I think. One of my favorite things Google offers is the "street view" option inside of Google Maps. Street view gives you the perspective of being in a car and driving down the street of the area on the map you are looking at.  I know that it has been around for a while, but they have finally gotten around to sending that little Google car to most of the streets here in Oklahoma City. I have used the terms "street view" and "map view" to describe a theory I have on how men and women see directions differently. Remember this is simply my opinion, but I feel like most women see directions from the street view, ground level, and tunnel vision perspective. They know where to turn by remembering certain landmarks not by seeing the overall plot of the course. In contrast, most men (and I use most liberally) see directions from the map view. Men visualize a map in our head and plot out the course from point A to point B. Because of this over view of the directions, when something such as a wreck or road construction causes us to detour we are able to adjust on the fly.  For those that view directions from the street view level, an accident can cause panic and confusion because their only reference points may not be accessible.  

     This analogy also works wonderfully when comparing how we see our lives versus how God sees everything.  God is not bound by time and space and is able to see the "map view" compared to our extremely limited "street view." Psalms 115:3 is simple and concise in saying "Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases." Regardless of what we feel like should happen from our street view, God will take us in the direction that He pleases.  Even the evil King Nebuchadnezzar came to this realization; that is after being driven out of his kingdom, eating grass like an ox, growing hair like feathers of an eagle and nails like claws of a bird (Daniel 4).  After regaining his reason and sanity, the king came to this realization in Daniel 4:35; "all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ' what have you done?'"  

         As I have spent the summer studying Romans 8 in depth, I have come to a new understanding of a popular verse in the Christian world.  Romans 8:28 says “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” I have been guilty, in the same way many others have, of hijacking this verse as simply a good response to people going through a rough patch, or at an impasse on their street view. As my view of God and his ultimate love for me has changed, my understanding of what Paul is communicating in this verse has become much more clear.  He is writing to believers, and yes all things will work together for good, but the key word is all.  From the street level, we are not able to see how weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities (2 Cor 12:10) can work together for good, but all of those things fall under the category of all.  We simply have to trust that the God who created the universe is capable of getting us from point A to point B, regardless of what the view looks like from our windshield.