A Gift Worth Giving

What can or should we expect from God? What does he expect from us?

What comes to mind first for many people is the idea that we should become sinless. While it's true that once we've been born again—once we've accepted God's pardon for both our sins and for being sinners—we should sin less. But it is not true that we can become sinless. Despite Scriptures that at a glance suggest otherwise.

The Bible tells us that we should be like him. That we are new creatures in Christ. That we can do all things through him. But to twist these and other verses to mean that we can achieve perfection means we've fallen into a trap set to snare us.

Our adversary would have us continually focused on ourselves rather than God. He wishes us to view life as a negative, never developing the positive.

Not so with God. Therefore, it may be easier to answer the opposite of those questions. What doesn't God expect?

He doesn't expect perfection, sinlessness. But he does expect holiness. But how does the unholy become holy? How does the unclean become clean? In the same way dishes become useable and useful.

Like dirty cups we become vessels of honor by being washed. And since it is clear that dishes cannot wash themselves, we must allow God to do what only he can do.

Our task, then, is to present ourselves to him continually so that he may cleanse us. And in gratitude we ought to serve him.

Not only during the Christmas season or at Easter or during other High Holy days, but every day, each day, we should give him what we have, what he wants most—ourselves. That is the gift he desires. And if we give him what he wants, he will give us what we need.