Clowne Christadelphian Ecclesia

At this time of year, gift-buying can be uppermost in peoples’ minds. It isn’t always easy to choose the right thing, even for somebody we know well. But by next summer, even the most carefully-chosen gifts will have been forgotten.

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What does the Bible say about gifts? The obvious ones that might be thought about are the three gifts brought to the child Jesus by the wise men who visited him in Bethlehem. No more is said about these gifts; perhaps Mary and Joseph had to use them to pay for their escape to Egypt when King Herod decided to kill all the male children in the area of Bethlehem.

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James ch 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” And Jesus spoke of his Father knowing exactly what we need, so that we don’t need to worry about the future.

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Jesus told his disciples to look further than everyday things that don’t last. He also told them “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”. (Luke 12:32). He knew that the things we buy for ourselves and for others won’t last. He described the things that last as “a treasure in the heavens”, explaining that our hearts are full of the things that matter most to us. If they are full of things that don’t last, we will be left with nothing. But if we set our minds on the things that don’t grow old, God will give us life in His kingdom forever.

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