Yes you read that headline correctly! And before you start stressing about me losing my way, read on…
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
This week I received a surprise in the mail. Working from home is not always fun. It is unglamorous and at times can be rather boring. With a knock at the door, the courier dropped off an enormous box. At the prompting of my husband, who seemed to know that it was for me, he told me to open it.
Opening the box I was confronted with 2 words. Louis. Vuitton. I excitedly ploughed through the bubble wrap to find the box. It was laced with leather.
In that moment, I was overwhelmed. Anything from Louis Vuitton was expensive and extravagant. I had never received anything like this before in my life…. or had I?
In this moment of unwrapping a box that was so beautifully presented, it reminded me of a moment many years ago when I asked Jesus to come into my life. Like any precious gift, it left me feeling unworthy. How could Jesus suffer and die so that I could live? It didn’t seem fair. Being who I am, I always feel like I should be the giver and not on the receiving end. Opening this box felt the same. Who was I that I should receive anything so precious?
All throughout the Gospels we see Jesus gave gifts that changed lives. The woman with the issue of blood was healed. The deaf and mute man restored. The hungry fed. The dead raised. The demon possessed given freedom. Those gifts He lavishly gave, changed those peoples lives. His final gift was Himself. He was beaten and despised and suffered an excruciating death so that we may live. This is a gift that not one person on the planet is worthy of receiving, but He gave it anyway. Why? Because He is gracious, generous and a deadset legend.
The gift inside the Louis Vuitton box was a bag. It was from a wonderful person who we have had the pleasure in working with. I have never owned anything so wonderful. Everything about this bag is quality. The stitching. The leather. The clasps. I know it’s just a bag but the price that was paid for it makes it so much more precious to me. And it reminds me of Jesus.
Jesus wants to give you a gift too. It’s quality and it will stand the test of time. Unlike this bag that will one day fade away. He is offering eternal life. Something worth far more than anything you could ever imagine. It is not something you can earn. It is something that He will willingly give you, if only you would ask.
Open your hands wide and accept His gift. It will change your life.
PS: The image used in this post is Scarlett Johansson posing for Louis Vuitton
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