Regifting

It is the time of the year, once again, when in an effort to celebrate the “holiday season” media outlets become bipolar in their messaging. They attempt to generate a positive, feel good tone to commensurate with the season and they create demand for their advertising clients by focusing on gifts and giving. Due to the recession and hard economic realities, a word once associated with cheapskates, spendthrifts, and the ungrateful recipient has become popular: Regifting.  Regifting simply defines means of taking a present given to you and giving it to someone else. I have been a lifelong practitioner. My wife initially frowned on my regifting habit, but over the years of observing my practice and understanding my philosophy, she became a regifter as well. My thoughts on  regifting follows this thinking; if I would never use it or have an abundance, why not give the gift to someone else who needs it or can use it. To my surprise I found that regifting is biblical.    

Colossians 1:19 states “For it pleases the father that in Him (Jesus) the fullness should dwell” (NKJV). This fullness described is referred to as the “fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). God’s gives his fullness to his son and then that fullness is gracefully regifted to us. “To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). Furthermore, it is the Christian’s duty to regift. Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world”. Reaffirming what John said about him in the beginning of his gospel (John 1:5). Are we not commanded to do with our light as the song This little light of mine says: to let it shine? Is not the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) a divine call to regift the gift of grace? So let us regift not just at the office Christmas party, the Channel 2 toy drive, or at the family Christmas celebraton in a purchased form, but more importantly the gift of the Gospel this holiday season and in the New Year. Regifting is biblical.

Stay Prayed up, Rev. Burton