Which Comes First: The Gift or the Giver?
Our starting point is that sex is a gift of God. Of course, it is not the only gift of God to us!
Life as a
whole is a precious gift of God. Health, good food, clean water, fresh air, the ability to see beautiful things and to hear words and music are wonderful gifts of God. To have a job and to be able to do your work with satisfaction is another great gift of God. And the greatest of all gifts of God was given to us when He came to us as a human being to show his love to us. He gave himself to us in Jesus Christ.
But a gift should not be enjoyed without remembering the giver. Any valuable
gift brings a certain responsibility with it - it should be used in the right way. And the right way to use it is according to the will of the giver.
Let us take an example. A father gives his son some money to buy himself a pair of trousers. But he uses the money to buy cigarettes and beer. He used the gift all right, but the purpose of his father was not fulfilled. He still has not got his new jeans! The gift of the father was misused. And the son will be unhappy because of the
strained relationship with his father.
Jesus once told a parable to explain that we must use God's gifts in the right way.
Read Matthew 25:14-30.
Whose property was entrusted to the servants? (Verse 14, 25)
Who used the gift as the master intended?
What did the master say to him?
Who did not use the gift according to the master's wishes?
What did the master do to him? (Verse 30.)
How does this story concern us?
Sex can go wrong
when we do not keep in mind that it is a gift of God. The gift of God must be enjoyed as God meant it to be. God wants us to enjoy sex, but it cannot be enjoyed when it is used against his will.
It is just because people want to enjoy the gift without remembering the Giver that sex is such a problem in many lives. The wrong use of sex destroys the lives of thousands of people. Many millions are miserable because they grab the gift and forget the Giver.
What is wrong with sex?
Nothing. Something is wrong with mankind. We want to use the gift without considering the will of the Giver and without thanking the Giver. And we forget that one day, when Christ comes back to judge the world, we will have to explain what we did with God's gifts.
Nothing is wrong with sex in itself, but something is wrong with us!
Prayer: O God, make me willlng to do your will in everything, and show me what is wrong with me. Amen.
Questions to Discuss in the Group
1. What other gifts of God are also sometimes misused?
2. What does Paul say in 1 Timothy 4:4-5 about the way in which we should use the gifts of God?
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