Blessing and Blessed

We meet a very sweet girl while on vacation. We were eating lunch at Tupelo Honey restaurant (which I do recommend!) and the usual discussion was taking place: “I’ll take the ticket”, “No, you got it last time, it’s my turn”, “Let me take care of it”; when our sweet waitress explained to both gentlemen how much better it is to accept the gift, allowing both to receive a blessing.

We’ll call her REL – not her name, but it comes close – and she went to to chat with us a bit about how so many people will turn down a gift, thinking it a social obligation. I heard this same thought from a gentleman in our church years ago – allow someone to be a blessing to you.

Okay, I’m going to take this up a notch and give you some verses about gifts – and hope you either have accepted, or will accept in the near future.  Yes, I am praying for several people who have been very open about not having Jesus in their life. They have not accepted God’s gift as explained in the most quoted verse in the Bible:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

God’s gift. I agree with Paul:

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. (2 Corinthians 9:15 KJV)

The gift is explained more than once:

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

God intends for us to use this gift ourselves, and spread the word that it is available to all:

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. (Ephesians 4:4-7 KJV)

We are given smaller gifts to use in sharing the word of God’s gift. Paul was aware of his, and of Timothy’s:

Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. (1 Timothy 4:14-16 KJV)

I have neglected my gift in my lifetime and I’m certain others have, too. But neglecting is not as bad for us as not accepting the gift. Refusing and thus losing both being blessed and the opportunity to be a blessing:

For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:2-3 KJV)

I pray for those on my list that they will not neglect so great salvation. I pray they will accept God’s gift, receive His blessing and be a blessing to others in His name.