Isaiah 5:21
Woe to those who are wise and shrewd in their own eyes!
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
I recently viewed a movie called The Ultimate Gift,
based on the best-selling book by Jim Stovall. The synopsis at
IMDb.com says, “A deceased billionaire leaves his spoiled adult grandson
a series of odd tasks to perform in order to receive ‘the ultimate
gift,’ with the resentful grandson having no idea what that might be.”
Even though this movie was released in 2006 – and a sequel, The Ultimate Life, was shown in theaters in 2013 – I encourage you to rent this one and watch it.
I
won’t spoil the plot for you, but the twelve gifts this grandfather
offers are: work; money (as in how to handle it wisely); unconditional
love; friends; laughter; giving; family; problems; learning; dreams;
gratitude; and the gift of a day. A message of Christian faith is
subtly woven through this film. These “gifts” all come with lessons
that most of us could probably stand to revisit from time to time.
Too
many of us think we are “all that and a bag of chips”…that people care a
whole lot more about what we think, say and do than is really the
case…that we can talk or buy our way out of any scrape…that there will
always be a “rich grandfather” to bail us out of any trouble we
encounter. The verses in Isaiah 5 that surround this one say that many
think they are “heroes” who can hold large amounts of liquor…take bribes
and manipulate the justice system to suit their own agendas…or tell
lies and twist things to fit their own beliefs and values. Have I
stepped on any toes yet?
At one point in the movie, the lead
character is sitting in a hospital chapel with a little girl, looking at
a large statue of Jesus Christ positioned on the altar. He tells the
child that he doesn’t know a whole lot about God, but…”I can promise you
that those arms are meant for you.”
While the “gifts”
demonstrated in this movie are important…the true “Ultimate Gift” is to
dwell in the arms of Jesus…both figuratively in this life…and literally
forever in Eternity. But God has called us to live according to His
plans in the meantime…to faithfully and responsibly exercise the 12
“gifts” described here, and to humbly serve Him in everything we say and
do. We are called to take ownership of our words and actions and to
make sure that they line up with God’s will and design for our lives.
The
challenge for each of us today is to determine what God wants us to
do…and get busy doing it! This movie might serve as a good “starting
point” for ideas. Spending some time in prayer and contemplation is
another. Our life is indeed a precious gift from God that demands a
level of care and appreciation in direct proportion to its value. How
well are your efforts stacking up these days? Are you honoring God’s
gifts? Isn’t it time you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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