Moment With Betty

Should a Gift given in exchange be of equal value? — It shouldn’t if you ask me, but some persons feel compelled to give a gift equal in value to a gift received. Gifts are supposed to give us joy and make us happy but unfortunately, there are certain gifts when received makes us feel sad. The reason for this varies from person to person. This could be that the gift received fall below our expectation or that we have an unsettled score with the giver. For me, for whatever it is worth, a gift is a gift, whether it meets my expectation or not or that l had an ill-feeling with the giver, it doesn’t matter. If the latter is the case, it only signifies one thing and that is that the giver is remorseful and wants to make amends and re-establish or renew the lost relationship. As a Christian and child of God, that should bring you joy.

Some school of thought feel that since gifts represent our desire to build or cement a relationship, they also require some form of reciprocation and that be the case, the reciprocating gift should be of roughly equal value as giving too little could signify that the receiver does not value the relationship and giving too much could mean that the receiver overvalues it, and this could in turn cause feelings of embarrassment. However, some gifts are given with no expected return. For example, we often give presents to young children that have no way of reciprocating and sometimes we send gifts to the orphanage for charity and even to the less privilege in our neighborhoods or communities. It all depends on the motive behind giving the gift.

Exchanging gifts is usually common during the holidays, but it is not always mandatory. In many cases, people give gifts without expecting anything in return, and the gift is simply a thoughtful gesture or a show of appreciation for being a good friend, helping a person out in time of need or just to celebrate a birthday, wedding anniversary and a festival.

I believe that giving a gift to someone we care about allows us to communicate our feelings and appreciation for them. In one way or another, gifts are used to symbolize love and devotion between two partners. It does not matter the nature of the gift or the size, what matters really is the thought of it.

Putting the gift received at the service of God and society: –

Through the Holy SpiritGod gives each and every one of us special gifts and talents so we can live fully for Him.  Just as we use material things to appreciate our friends and cement our relationships, God bestows upon all members of His church in every age spiritual gift which each member is to employ in loving ministry for the common good of the church and of humanity.  The question therefore is, are we really using these gifts and talents to worship God and appreciate His goodness in our lives and to win souls for Him on earth.

According to the Scriptures, these gifts include such ministries as Faith, Healing, Prophecy, Proclamation, Teaching, Administration, Reconciliation, Compassion, Self-sacrificing service and Charity for the help and encouragement of people. Some of us are gifted with one or more of these gifts particularly, the gift of healing and teaching. But what do we do, rather than render these services to humanity freely as it was given to us, we demand for something in return? These are spiritual gifts which should not be reciprocated. I am optimistic that when members employ these spiritual gifts as faithful stewards of God’s various grace, the church will be protected from the destructive influence of false doctrine and grows with a growth that is from God and is built up in Faith and Love.

So, as we derive joy and happiness from the gifts we receive from friends, colleagues and relations let us also find joy and happiness using the gifts and talents received from God to help members of the church to better understand the teachings of the Bible, evangelize and increase the Faith of the members of the church and in turn grow the church community.