Roger Lipe: Gifts

G I F T S

http://devotions4competitors.blogspot.com/2012/09/g-i-f-t-s-john-327-what-would-it-be.html

John 3:27

What would it be like to be a record holder in your sport, right at the top of your game, only to watch someone else come along and immediately break all your records with apparent ease?  John the Baptist experienced just such a dynamic, but with a lot more poise than most of us could manage.

We read about it in John chapter 3 and verse 27, “John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.’”

You may say, “But I earned every point I’ve scored.”  You certainly have, but John knew that the real stuff of life, the things that have the greatest value are gifts from God in heaven.

In John’s case, he is the first man in 400 years to speak with authority from God.  That’s impressive, but along comes his younger cousin and immediately eclipses his whole life.  As the people who watched expected jealousy, John exhibited joy and acknowledged God as the giver of every good gift.

Your gifts are much the same.  Much of the grace given to you is nothing you could ever earn.  It’s a gift, not a merit badge.  The ability to play and the opportunity to compete is a gift to be treasured and for which to be thankful.

As you approach today’s competition, appreciate such gifts, revel in them, and enjoy them to the fullest with a grateful heart.