An Inexpressible Gift!

Reverend Deron McDaniel, M.Div.
Director of Pastoral Care
Brookwood Baptist Medical Center

“Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15 ESV)

The Holiday Season is upon us and it is such an important time for people of faith. It is that time of year that reminds us of the significant and important people in our lives, family and friends, and helps us to be appreciative for all that is good and special in our lives. Ultimately, it reminds of the very heart of this season which centers on the Birth of Jesus. There are many wonderful things we love about the story of Jesus’ birth and there are many things we take from the story that adds color and brightness to our own stories and to our own lives.

One of the great themes of the story of Jesus’s birth comes from His name. The Angel told Mary and Joseph that His name would be called Immanuel which means that God is with us. No matter what this year has been, no matter the amount of struggles and difficulties we have encountered; God has been and is with us. While that is an awesome thought and a powerful truth that can lift our hearts, there is more to the story. As much as this season is about gratefulness and appreciation for the all that is good in our lives, it is also about giving and thinking of ways to be gracious and kind to others. It is this theme that is perhaps most important. The Apostle Paul describes Jesus as God’s inexpressible gift. It is God’s love and grace wrapped in humanity given to us on Christmas morning. What then are we do with such an incredible gift?

The story of Jesus also reveals another important theme and that is that God uses ordinary people, like Mary and Joseph, like the shepherds and the wise men. That is also truly powerful; that the God who is with us and who has given us an inexpressible gift also dares to use us in the work of connecting people of all walks of life with His love and grace; with His inexpressible gift. May we, throughout all seasons, take this gift and dare to give it away in significant and powerful ways so that others may know and experience God’s inexpressible gift.

Prayer: Kind and Gracious God, we thank you for your inexpressible gift, your Son. We also thank you for the many opportunities you give us to experience this gift over and over again. Help us to give it away to others in the daily ordinary encounters so that they may also experience your love and grace. May your inexpressible gift be experienced in new and powerful ways this seasons and all the seasons to come! In the name of Jesus. Amen.