Just Because

We recently surprised our young son, Kyle with a gift of a large amount of Lego that we had managed to purchase second-hand. Rather than wait for his birthday, or until he had made some great achievement, we just gave it to him. He was delighted and he immediately immersed himself into the fullness of this wonderful, and almost overwhelmingly abundant, gift. With joy in our hearts, we all sat playing together on the floor and I found myself thinking about how easily Kyle had accepted this huge gift. There was no questioning why he had been given it, or what he had done to earn it; he simply accepted the gift and then just lost himself in all that it had to offer him.

As we celebrate Easter, it may be a good time to review how we respond to the most amazing gift ever given to mankind: the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. It is a gift that is available to every person and is free to anyone who will accept it. It is an abundant gift of grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, kindness, patience, peace, faithfulness and more!

Yet, the reality is that many of us do not enter into the fullness of this priceless gift. We can find ourselves sitting on the sidelines, observing the abundance, but not allowing ourselves to enter into it with freedom and a sense of abandonment.

Our joy at seeing Kyle totally abandoned to, and immersed in, the gift we gave him is just a tiny insight into the joy that motivated Jesus to go to the cross. He knew that, through His suffering and death, He would then enjoy an eternity of seeing those He saved living in freedom and abundance.

When I asked Kyle if he knew why we gave him the Lego, he said, “No, why?” I replied, “Just because we love you,” to which he grinned broadly, said, “Thanks” and continued playing with the Lego.

The simplicity of Kyle’s response touched my heart deeply. He totally accepted our love and the gift we had given him with sincerity and simplicity. How my heart would have broken if we had given him his gift only for him to turn his back on it and not go near it.

When you bring the Easter message to its most basic form, I believe the words; “Just because I love you” sum it up quite nicely. Maybe this Easter is a time when we can all abandon ourselves to the fullness of the Gift, and allow Jesus to experience the joy that motivated Him to death. What better gift could we ever give to Him?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You died for me so that I can experience and abundant life with You. Yet, I recognise that I have not entered into the fullness of your Gift. Please help me abandon myself to all that You won for me on the cross so that I may bring You joy. Amen.