Paraklesis
Peter Adam | August 2026
Beloved brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
James tells us that ‘every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights …’ [1:17].
Let us meditate together on God and his gifts!
1.Love God the giver more than his gifts!
Children have to learn to love the giver more than the gift. But what a difficult lesson to learn when the gift is just what you want! Grandma is actually more important than the doll, trainset, rabbit, toy, or book, however wonderful they are! But ultimately, we need to learn that gifts point us beyond themselves: they for they express the love, care, generosity, and thoughtfulness of the giver. David says to God, ‘Everything comes from you…’ [1 Chron 29:14]; and Paul wrote, ‘What do you have that you did not receive?’ [1 Cor 4:7].
2. Thank and praise God the giver!
Taking gifts for granted is an unpleasant response when we are given gifts by other people. Taking gifts from God for granted is sinful! We should thank God the giver all, and praise him as the generous, kind, caring, gracious giver of every good and perfect gift. And these gifts include all gifts of creation, all gifts of salvation, all gifts of ministry, and all opportunities of ministry. Love the giver, not the gift. ‘Although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him …’ [Rom 1:21].
3. God gives us ministry gifts for the benefit of others, not to support our self-worth, or to boost our pride!
‘Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good’ [1 Cor 12:7]. God gives you a gift so that you may bless others! It is for their benefit, and for God’s praise. That is the connection between 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and chapter 13, with the warning in chapter 13 about ministry without love for the people to whom we minister: without love, ‘I am nothing’, and ‘I gain nothing’ [13;2,3]. So to young men who say to me ‘I love preaching’, I always reply, ‘Do you love people’? So our desire must be to love and serve others, not to perform well! [I confess I spent many early years praying that I would preach well, and not praying for those who would hear the sermon. How bizarre!]
4. Thank God for his gifts to us, and do not envy the gifts and opportunities of others!
We need to learn to trust the wisdom and goodness of God. The more we focus on what we have not received, the more grumpy we will be, and the more we will despise the gifts and opportunities that God has given us. ‘A heart at peace gives life to the full, but envy rots the bones’ [Prov 14:30]; ‘Love … does not envy’ [1 Cor 13:4]; ‘The works of the flesh are obvious … envy …’ [Gal 5:21]. And reflect on Jesus’ words to Peter, ‘What is that to you? You must follow me’ [Jn 21:22,23].
5. The best gifts are costly to receive.
Salvation in Christ is a free gift which we cannot earn, but which may cost us our life to receive. ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cros daily and follow me’ [Luke 9:23].
God does not owe us a husband or wife; children are a free gift of God; extraordinary gifts of body or mind are God’s gifts; every gift of ministry and every opportunity for ministry are free gifts. But when we receive these free gifts, we do not know the cost of receiving them, how much self-sacrifice, hard work, pain or suffering we will experience. As we need to learn to trust God for the gifts he does not give us, so we need to learn to trust God for the gifts he does gives, whatever the cost. This is a painful lesson! ‘Love is patient, love is kind … it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs … always hopes, always perseveres’ [1 Cor 13: 4,5,7]. ‘From the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be demanded’ [Lk 12:48]. ‘I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches’ [2 Cor 11:28]. ‘This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us’ [1 Jn 3:16]. And free and costly gifts are often very precious: but we may also have to pay the cost of pain and loss if God removes them … Hold God’s wonderful gifts with open hands, not clenched fists!
6. God gives us gifts, and God may also take away a gift he has given us!
In Job’s words, ‘The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised’ [1:21]. And Paul’s words, ‘I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances [Phil 4:11]. What a lesson to learn! Again, hold God’s gifts with open hands, and love God more than his gifts.
7. God gives us things that may seem bad or unpleasant to us at the time, but are for our good.
God disciplines or trains us for our good. What a challenging message! Here are 4 examples:
Sometimes God needs to send us suffering to humble us. ‘Therefore, in order to keep me from being conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me’ [2 Cor 12:7].
There are some good changes which are only brought about by suffering. ‘We glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope’ [Rom 5:3,4]. And, ‘Consider if pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you meet trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance’ [Jas 1:2,3].
God’s training and discipline of us is a sign of his love, and his desire for our growth. God loves us as we are, but loves us to much to leave us as we are! ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son … God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness’ [Heb 12:5,6,10].
While we love gifts from God, we also need to experience and learn that God works in our weakness, as well as in our strength and gifts. ‘I boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest upon me’ [2 Cor 12:9].
8. God calls us to be generous to others, as he has been generous to us.
Jesus said to disciples on mission, ‘Freely you have received; freely give’ [Matt 10:8]. Paul wrote, ‘Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously … God loves a cheerful giver’! [2 Cor 8:6,7]. And from Proverbs, ‘A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed’ [11:25].
Let us pray:
Gracious and loving heavenly Father, we praise you for your kindness, generosity and love, and for every gift you have given us, in creation, salvation, and ministry.
Please forgive us when we love your gifts more than we love you, and when we envy the gifts of others. Help us to love you more than your gifts, and to rejoice in the gifts you have given others.
Help us to love and honour you when your gifts are costly to receive: enable us to love, to persist, to suffer, and to serve you in all situations, and to be good stewards of your gifts.
Please help us to love and trust you when you take away gifts you have given us, and when you give us gifts which are unpleasant to us, but pleasing to you, and express your love and care for us.
Every good and perfect gift comes from you, our glorious and gracious God. Help us to give freely and generously to others, as you have given freely and generously to us.
We praise and thank you, and ask for your wisdom to live to serve and honour you in all things, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
With love in Jesus Christ,
Yours,
