It's Only a Gift

When you examine your abilities, there are two categories: one where you have earned the skills you now possess, and another set you did nothing to earn; you were born with them.

A prime example is height. You are either tall or short, and there is no way to work hard enough to change it. Height in athletes is commonly seen as a benefit and a frustrating one if you were born without it. If you are tall and pursuing a sport where that’s to your advantage, you should realize that this was a complete gift.

Just as there is no amount of work you could do to change your height, there is no work we could do that would earn us a spot in heaven. In the verses above, the main word I want you to focus on is “enabled.” Christ enables or gives us the chance to share in the rewards of heaven and His presence. Our works here on earth do not give us a ticket to heaven. We must realize and thank God that it’s only by His pure grace, a gift, that we can be with Him.

What does it mean to understand that it’s not by our works but by God’s grace that we spend eternity with Him? It means we bow down and worship at the feet of Jesus. We do not puff out our chest and declare all the good we have done. We graciously understand that without Christ, we have nothing and spend our days constantly thanking Christ for giving us a way back to the Father.