Fake Money and Broken Airplanes

            When I was growing up back in Rollingbrook, we tried not to get all excited about Christmas.  If you did, it was likely that you would be disappointed come present unwrapping time. We had good gifts sometimes though, and my parents always did their best to somehow make it a great season around our home.

            Once when I was about 8 years old or so, I kept bugging my dad about a particular gift of mine.  He would only answer, “It’s a million dollars, son” no matter how many times I asked. Turns out, it was.  One million dollars in PLAY money.  If that wasn’t enough, the really good gift I got that year was a giant styrofoam airplane that my brother “had” to put together and “try first”.    He threw it one time and it crashed. The wing broke in half, I never touched it.

            The reason that I try not to focus on material gifts during the Holidays may be evident by the previous observations.  In reality, the reason lies more in the fact that as a Christian husband, father and an adult, my priorities are different than when I was a child.  The gift that I am more appreciative of now is the Greatest Gift of All, Jesus Christ!

            The gift of Grace in Christ is far more appealing than a million dollars, or even a real airplane.  It was much later in life before I enjoyed full appreciation for such a Glorious Gift.  It is a gift that fits any size, any type, any personality. 

            The Gift of Salvation is open to all who believe on Him (Jn. 3:16; Acts 16:31). Biblically, both belief and confession are inseparably linked with salvation (Rom 10:8-10; 1 Tim. 6:12). To those who believe in Christ, repentance and baptism for the remission of sins are both instructed (Acts 2:36-38, Luke 24:46-47). Baptism is prescribed as the way to call on the name of the Lord and have your sins washed away (Acts 22:16). 

            What an excellent Gift!  Let us not grow weary of proclaiming this message!