What Gift are You Giving?

Photo: Pixabay

Most of us love receiving gifts. One of my favorite gifts is a box full of all kinds of sweet chocolates. I think most of us can agree on that, but what if, instead of chocolate, you open up the box to find only the chocolate wrappers. How would it make you feel? The thoughts and emotions that immediately jump to mind are sadness, frustration, and maybe even anger. It hurts when we get a bad gift because gifts often reflect the heart of the giver. Every day we are giving someone a gift with our words that can be as sweet as chocolate or as mean and empty as trash.

Our words show what is in our heart

Just like we can tell about the heart of the giver by the gift they give, we can tell a lot about the heart of a person by the words they speak. Proverbs 4:23 says, 

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life: 

Then in verse 24 it talks about one of the issues of life that springs from the heart. It says, 

“Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk from you” (ESV). 

Before we speak, we need to think about the condition of our hearts and the gift we are giving. James 1:19 admonishes, 

“Know this my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (ESV). 

If your heart is full of hatred and anger, that is what will come out in your words. If your heart is full of love and kindness, your words will reflect those attitudes. What is in your heart? 

Our words are a gift to others

Kind words are some of the best gifts we can give. Kind words are even better than chocolate! Proverbs 16:24 says,

“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (NKJV).

When we speak kind words, we give health and healing to each other and build each other up. Ephesians 4:29 also admonishes, 

“Let no corrupt talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (ESV).

Our words have power. There is an old saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.” That is an untrue statement. Words cut deep.

How are you using that power? Are your words making others smile? What kind of gift are you choosing to give with your words? 

Our words are a gift to God

When we give kind words to others, it is a gift to God as well. Our words reflect Christ. As Christians, we carry Christ’s name. We should seek to do everything in a way that reflects positively on Christ’s name. Colossians 3:17 states, 

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him” (NKJV).  

Do the words we say reflect positively on the name of Christ? 

We have also been called to love as Christ loves. When we talk down to people, what does that say about Christ’s love? 1 John 4:10-11 tells us, 

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son a propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (ESV). 

Do the words we say show others the love and compassion of Christ?

When our words reflect the name and love of God’s Son it is a sweet gift to Him.

What Gift are You Giving? 

When we feel like saying something unkind, let us resolve to think of what kind of gift we would like to get from someone’s words. Let us think about whose name we bear and the love He has given us. Finally, let us resolve to give people a box of chocolate with our words.