The Greatest and Most ETRAVAGANT Gift Ever Given!

Christmas has always been a difficult time for me, especially after losing my soulmate 13 years ago. Each year I ask the Lord to help me not be so self-focused. This year He’s leading me to focus on the

Greatest and Most Extravagant Gift Ever Given—Jesus.

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 Jn 3:1 NKJV)

TAKE NOTICE! GAZE WITH WONDER AND ASTONISHMENT…

that God could love us in this manner and degree. We are not deserving of this type of extravagant gift. So how could He?

I don’t know—except that God created us for a love relationship with Him. Sending His Son to restore that relationship is undeniable proof of His exorbitant love for mankind.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Rom 5:8 NLT)

Our only appropriate response would be utter worship, gratitude, and dedication.

If we pondered on the significance of such an extravagant gift, it would radically change our lives, and generate a desire to love God in return with our whole being.

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. (Mk 12:30)

The Greek word used for love here is agape—a selfless, unconditional, sacrificial, and an act-of-the-will type of love. Agape love is how God loves us and desires to be loved in return. It’s an extravagant love.

The dictionary defines extravagant as spending much more than is necessary or wise; excessively high; exceeding the bounds of reason; going beyond what is deserved or justifiable.

If you’re sold out to Christ, you may have some people say to you, “Aren’t you taking this ‘Jesus stuff’ a little too far?” They think you’re crazy.

But in the biblical way of thinking, that definition is the perfect way to look at what our love should be for an infinite God. He is beyond measure in every respect. Unlike us, He deserves to be loved without bounds. He is worth loving with an over-the-top type of love.

What would this extravagant love for God look like?

It’s loving God with our entire being—submitting every aspect of our existence to His control. Our:

• Heart (emotions, passions, desires, motivations)
• Soul (personality, temperament, spirit—that immaterial part of us)
• Mind (thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, memory, imagination, intelligence)
• Strength (physical energy and non-physical energy—our will)

It’s putting God first before all and above all.

It’s giving up whatever He asks of us, no matter the cost—looking at every difficult situation as an opportunity to sacrificially love Him in return. (Rom 12:1-2)

It’s obeying Him all the time—and repenting when we don’t. No matter the conditions in which we find ourselves, no matter whether we understand or not, no matter whether we like it or not.

It’s accepting God’s will with joy—or at least work toward having this attitude. 

It’s attempting to love God in the same manner as He loved us—sacrificially, selflessly, unconditionally, and willingly. Compared to God’s Niagara Falls-sized love for us, ours is a mere trickle. While it isn’t possible to love God to the same degree or extent that He loves us, we can at least attempt to love Him in the same way and in increasing measure.

We have many good examples of extravagant lovers in the Bible: Abraham, Mary, the mother of Jesus, Paul…. So the question, my friend, then becomes:

Will you and I be among them?

We have grandiose dinners on Thanksgiving, over-the-top Christmas decorations, excessive birthday celebrations for our kids. We lavishly give to the ones we love. Could we not give the greatest and most extravagant gift we can to the ONE who truly deserves it?

This Christmas I am recommitting to love Him with my entire being for the rest of my life! I hope you will too.

Merry Christmas! I pray that our love for God will grow in astounding ways in the years ahead!

Relevant Resources
What Are YOU Going to Give Jesus for Christmas This Year? 
Finding Joy in Sacrifice
Surrender Part 1: Why Should We Surrender? ..