You don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Apparently you can work out the age of horse by the size and quality of its teeth. If you are given a horse, are you equipped to look after it? The expense of looking after one is high; not only do you have to feed and stable it, but you have to care for it, and when it dies you have to dispose of it through the proper channels. A horse needs grooming, mucking out, and it likes to be worked.

So we can come across problems with receiving gifts, because they are not always wanted, and they may not be appropriate. Furthermore, they can involve one with additional, unplanned expenses. A mobile phone is an example of this sort. Therefore the giver should research the likes, dislikes and needs of the person to whom he wishes to give a gift.

God gives His people gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11). He knows all about the people to whom He gives them, and why He gives them – principally for the profit of all (1 Corinthians 12:7), and for the extension of His kingdom, i.e., the bringing of new converts into His church (1 Corinthians 14:24, 25).

The principal gift of God is Jesus (John 4:10; Romans 3:23; 2 Corinthians 9:15). The Father gave Him as a substitute to bear the penalty for our sin. In so doing He makes us righteous through the shedding of His blood (Romans 5:15-17; Hebrews 9:11-15; 1 Peter 1:18).  Christ died to make us whole, to make us without blemish and to present us to His Father (John 17:24). This is only possible through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8).

God ensures that every Christian has a gift, and many have multiple gifts (1 Corinthians 12). The gifts of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22). The  greatest and most desirable gift is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). 1 Corinthians 12 outlines other gifts, and they are all of the Spirit for unifying the church.

God’s gift of forgiveness is never refused. It is irrevocable (Romans 11:29). God’s election is sure (Ephesians 1:5). All is of Him and for Him (Colossians 3:11). Jesus orders those who labour and are heavy laden to come to Him to take His yoke and learn from Him. He doesn’t meekly ask them to choose to take His yoke. This is His gift to them for the resting of their souls (Matthew 11:28-30). His burden is light (1 John 5:3).

The giving of a gift is pleasurable to the giver, and the recipient gives pleasure to the giver by receiving it graciously with thanks. That is the great privilege of the believer, for he receives the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ, and thereafter he has pleasure being in Him (Ephesians 1:3). The Holy Spirit imparts new life to the believer (John 3:3), and the believer rejoices (Romans 5:2, 11), having been given the gift of eternal life (1 John 3:16).