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Apr 29, 2026 06:00am

When “Thank You” Isn’t Enough: The Only Gift God Wants

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What could I give?

It was the night before our trip to El Salvador. We were headed there to deliver shoeboxes as part of the Everlasting Smiles Shoebox Ministry.

But it was also a trip to encourage our pastors and their families, to learn more about the work they are doing, and to experience it firsthand.

When we go, we take gifts—something to show our love and appreciation for them and the work they do.

And there I was, walking through a store, feeling like everything I looked at was not worthy.

What do you give?

They have given so much. These men and women open their homes to us. They share everything they have. Some even take off work without pay for a week to help us during this trip. They sacrifice a great deal, and here I am looking at chocolate, notebooks, or a T-shirt, and all of it just does not feel like enough.

It made me think about another gift we’ve been given:

The gift of salvation.

The sacrifice that Christ made for us as He willingly gave His life on the cross.

For what? For us to be forgiven. For us to be saved. For us to live. What a beautiful and incredible gift!

What could I possibly give in return that would be worthy?

Philippians 2:16–18
“Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just as your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.”

Paul knew. He knew the only gift we could possibly give to the Lord in return:

Our lives—completely, fully surrendered to Christ, serving Him above all.

All we have to offer the Lord in return is a life of service to Him.

Jesus shared with His disciples about the sacrifice He would make:

“After supper He took another cup of wine and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant between God and His people—an agreement confirmed with My blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.’” — Luke 22:20

And there on the cross, the blood of Christ was poured out, fulfilling the Old Testament sacrificial law. The blood of the innocent had to be poured out for the guilty.

For us.

Like Paul, we can have joy in the day of the Lord’s return because we have a gift to offer to Christ.

It’s all we have to give: a life lived surrendered to the King, Jesus Christ.

My friend, do you know Him? If you truly did, in this moment, right now, you would feel like everything on your schedule, every accomplishment, every award, and everything you own is worthless compared to knowing Him.

In the end, nothing else matters except Christ.

And as we stand before Him and give an account for the life that He died for, what will we have to show? How did we spend the time that He gave us? Was it focused on Him and His Kingdom or on ourselves?

Turn. Turn to the King. Fall on your knees before Him and ask for forgiveness. Surrender your life at His feet. Commit to following Him and giving it for His glory.

Let me show you what that looks like. Go to follow.lifeword.org and learn what it means to be a truly devoted follower of Christ.

Our life is all we have to offer in return for the gift that Christ gave us.