REGIFTING-AGAIN

• Philippians 2:1 through Philippians 2:2 (NIV) ¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Notice the if/then concept.If we have received then we should give all these things to others.

 

It’s the concept of regifting. Scripturally speaking it is our mandate.  If we have gotten all these gifts we need to wrap it up and pass it on.

But, but they don’t deserve it...

• They don’t deserve my forgiveness
• They don’t deserve to be happy
• They don’t deserve tenderness and compassion

You’re right…but neither did you.  Go back to what we have been reading in Romans.  We were not deserving of anything.

• Romans 5:6 through Romans 5:8 (NCV) ⁶When we were unable to help ourselves, at the moment of our need, Christ died for us, although we were living against God. ⁷Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die. ⁸But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

God wants us to recognize that our responsibility is to regift what He has given us even if they don’t deserve it.It requires a whole other way of thinking.  Jesus doesn’t want us to fall into the selfish mindset of keeping all the gifts to ourselves, he wants us to shift our thinking. SAVORINGThe Christmas season is not about you and what you want or don’t want, it is about Christmas mission.  Are you Christmas vacation or Christmas mission?

REGIFTING

Have ever regifted something?  Admit it you have. Have you ever forgotten to take off the tag the person who gave it to you had put on?  Or have you ever regifted the gift to the person who originally gave you the gift?

So is regifting such a bad thing?  I actually think that regifting is a biblical command. I think that regifting in the spiritual sense is actually mandated by God.

• Matthew 10:5-8 (NIV) ⁵These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ ⁸Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
• Acts 8:14 through Acts 8:17 (NIV) ¹⁴When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. ¹⁵When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Even Paul encouraged his spiritual son Timothy to regift…

• 2 Timothy 2:2 (NIRV) You have heard me teach in front of many witnesses. Pass on to men you can trust the things you’ve heard me say. Then they will be able to teach others also.

 SAVORINGWhat do these verses tell us we should be regifting?

SAVORING...

So it has come and gone.  The gifts have been opened, the meals have been prepared and consumed and the family has visited.  It is so easy for us to start packing up the stuff and moving on…but I want to encourage you to take time to savor the season.  Today in the church calendar the Feast of St. Stephen is celebrated.  It is the time where we pack up food and give to those in need – growing up we knew it as Boxing Day.  You made up food boxes to pass out to people. 

 

What a great idea – passing on the blessings.  Beyond just the food, we have been blessed by God and during the next few days why not be purposeful about how you can pass on those blessings.  Write an encouraging note to someone, invite a couple of friends over for coffee and dessert and play a game.  Spend time playing with your kids.  The possibilities are endless.  Don’t pack up and go back to business as usual – take time to savor