You Are a Gift: And Gifts Are Meant to Be GivenSample

Those who sit in darkness are "lost" because they cannot—or choose not to—see the pathway out. In all our gifting, we offer hope because we bring the gospel of peace with us wherever we tread.

Bringing Heaven With Us

In another Reading Plan, Repentance: An Invitation to Rest, we talked about how the path to God—regardless of how far we've strayed or deliberately turned our backs on Him—is as close as our next step.

John the Baptist and Jesus both said several times, “Behold, the kingdom is at hand.” The literal translation for is at hand is closer has drawn near.

Jesus not only descended to us from heaven, He brought heaven with Him. And we as Christians (“little Christs”)—serving Him to grow His kingdom—do likewise.

We bring heaven with us.

When we show up and bring God’s love, mercy, and justice to any situation, we are the conduit for God’s kingdom to break into our world, into the hearts of saint and sinner alike, growing His kingdom in the hearts of those we interact with, those whom He has brought into our lives.

This is not of ourselves. It is by grace, through faith, that God uses us to bring heaven to the world around us.

Reflection

How do you bring heaven with you?

How do you bring love where there is strife?

How do you bring mercy and grace to those who have done wrong?

How do you bring justice for those who have been wronged? 

Reminder

You are God’s gift to the world for such a time as this.

How does God want you to give yourself away today?