How Does God Feel When We Give Him “Useless” Gifts?

I closed the car door, started the engine and shifted into reverse…

A white envelope was taped to the mirror.

My wife often leaves notes about things I’m supposed to remember.  It seemed strange she’d put a note in an envelope.

Opening the envelope, I found a birthday card.  I called my wife.

“Thanks for the card, but my birthday’s a week away.”

“I know”,  she said.

“At least”, I thought, “I won’t have to drop subtle hints about remembering my birthday”.

The next day, somebody left the office mail on my desk.

Looking at the outside of the envelopes, I decided what to do with each one…

– Throw away

– Throw away

– Read later

What’s this one?

There was no return address, but I recognized my wife’s handwriting.  Another birthday card!

By day three, I was into the spirit of the birthday card game.  Where would I find today’s card?

Answer: The sock drawer!

Day 4 mystery card location: The bathroom mirror.

Day 5: Next to a box of cereal.

Day 6: Pinned to the shirt I planned to wear.

Day 7: My Birthday! Where would the card be hidden today?

I looked everywhere but couldn’t find it.  My wife gave it to me after breakfast.

I can’t remember my official birthday present from that year at all. 

I am sure it was a great gift. (In case my wife is reading this post, I want to make it very clear that she always buys wonderful presents!)

The present I remember is the one of all those cards.

I remember them because they were a gift of love.  They didn’t did cost very much. They had absolutely no practical value, but I cherish them because with those cards, my wife gave me her heart.

How does God feel when we give him the same kind of impractical-heart-overflowing-with-love kinds of gifts?

Consider Mark’s account of the prostitute who anointed Jesus with perfume…

Mark 14; 4-9 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? ⁵ It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages^[a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

⁶ “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷ The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. ⁸ She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. ⁹ Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

God left us in this world to be his hands and feet, to love our neighbors not just with words but with action, but the first command is to love him…

Luke 10:27 He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Could it be that by loving God first, it is from Him we draw all our power and to him we return all the glory?