We give gifts to one another…….at least most of us do.
Sometimes they are a big deal……. other times, they are almost an afterthought. So, how do you tell the difference between a big important gift and a small inconsequential gift? This is a matter of small importance when you are the giver. It is, however, critical when you are the receiver.
Recently, I bought a new hand saw. It replaced an old saw that was rusty and dull. The old saw still had a few years in it and it was a very convenient size. But, I was going to throw the old saw away…….instead, I gave it to my middle son. This is a good example of an inconsequential gift. It cost me nothing.
My oldest son was poor. For him to have more than a buck or two in his wallet was unusual. And yet, many times, I have watched him order a cup of coffee in a restaurant and leave a $2 tip. My youngest son suffered from a terrible debilitating neuropathy. Every step he took caused him excruciating pain. And yet, he went to work to support his family. The 100 yard daily walk to his office cost him a great deal. My middle son has a severe spinal cord injury. He could easily qualify as disabled, but he works hard to support his family. These gifts are huge. They are gifts of great consequence.
What is the difference?
The difference is the cost of the gift to the giver relative to what the giver has. In most cases, I am not talking so much about the cost in dollars…….but rather, about the personal cost…….in time, effort, thought……..and even in pain. These costs and the resultant value of the gift are clearly evident to the giver. They can be much less evident to the receiver. In fact, these costs are often ignored by the receiver. The result is that the receiver grossly underestimates the true value of the gift.
I have many times seen someone give a gift that cost them a great deal in terms of time, effort, thought and even pain…….and watched the receiver fail to appreciate the true value of the gift. This is heartbreaking……..and it is wrong.
It is quite possible to receive a gift of great value that has little or no dollar value. I would go further. The greatest gifts that you will ever receive typically have no cash value. The watercolors that my granddaughters give me are such gifts.
So…… what’s the point?
When I look at the gifts that I have been given……..I need to accurately assign them a value. Because, that value should dictate my response to the giver. That value must count the true cost of the gift…….to the giver…….and I don’t mean its value in a resale shop.
The most valuable gift that I have ever been given?
Paradise.
It is the most valuable, because of it’s true cost to the giver…….the torture, and murder, and death of the son of God, the creator of the universe.
I doubt that a lot of us accurately value that gift. If we did, we wouldn’t behave the way that we do. If you need help, watch Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ”.
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Jesus, NIV
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Jesus,NIV
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Paul, NIV