I have one word on my mind this morning. It is the word “gratitude.” It comes from the adjective “grateful.” Other words for this are: “appreciation;” “recognition;” “credit;” and “acknowledgement.” The dictionary defines being grateful as “warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful.” It is being so full of thanks that we are sometimes not able to put into words how thankful we are.
We are led to feel like this: “Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” (2 Corinthians 9:15 KJV)
There was a movie a few years ago called “Pay It Forward.” A young man had something given to him. He knew he would never be able to repay the person who gave him the gift. He also knew that the person gave the gift out of love and they would never accept repayment anyways. It was a gift and not a loan. Instead of trying to repay the person who gave him the gift, he started with one person and with gratitude in receiving the gift, gave a gift to another person. This person was expected not to repay, but to also pay it forward. It is blessing someone else with a blessing one has received. This was done in the spirit of love in the person who gave the young man the gift in the first place. The gift was not re-gifted, it was not “see who could do more, and it was not hidden. The gift was paid forward. This is why repaying a loan is called paying it “back.”
The point is that “You do not need to repay me, just pay it forward.” Do something to make someone else’s life better. We are thankful for the gift and the giver, but the gift and the giver are honored if the blessing is passed along to someone else.
Note to those who blessed us this week: You know who you are. God knows who you are and how much you have blessed someone else. We may not be able to ever pay you back. We also know what you have done is out of love and you would never expect to be paid back. Please know that the blessing God enabled you to pass along to us will be used to bless someone else at the time God decides and in the manner God chooses. Thank you.
We do not give to draw attention to ourselves. Remember God gave to us first and we can never ever give more than God. We give to draw others to God. We love because He first loved us and died for us.
Isn’t this the way it is with God? Our salvation has been won. Sin and death are overcome and defeated. Jesus said, “It is finished.” I believe Him. There is no more paying "back." only paying "forward." The gift is ours. The victory belongs to Jesus. The glory is God’s. And this truth sets us free.
Jesus said we are to go into ALL the world to make disciples. To me this is God saying that He does not want us to repay Him. It is God saying, “Now go and pay it forward.” The gift of Jesus Christ and the Giver who is God are honored and glorified if the gift we have been given is passed along to others.
This is why Mary and Joseph rejoiced. This is why the baby John the Baptist jumped in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary and Elizabeth met. This is why the sky was filled with angels the night the angel appeared to the shepherds. This is why the shepherds left the stable rejoicing. This is why the wise men showed up around two years later. All of them knew they had been given a special gift that was beyond description, beyond anything they had ever dreamed of. And the list goes on and on.
We have received a gift that was paid forward. It is a gift from eternity to eternity. It is a gift that is the perfect gift for any person. It is a gift that keeps on giving.
Suddenly we realize that God has been so good to us that we can’t keep it inside any more. From the depths of our being we shout our joy to God. In 2 Corinthians 9:15 Paul is clearly speaking about the gift of Jesus Christ. But with any blessing from any person by any method, our response should be, “Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!”
Our response should be to now pay it forward and not pay it back. The debt is paid. It is a gift not a loan.
Pay it forward.
Hello Again!!
7 years ago
