Grace Seminary alumnus David Jeremiah has recently joined Baptist Press as a columnist. Jeremiah is senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, Calif., and has been featured on the “Turning Point” radio and television ministry since its launch in 1982. Here are excerpts from his first BP column:
God Sent the Very Best
By David Jeremiah
Joyce Hall became the founder of Hallmark Cards, Inc. He is best known for the Hallmark slogan, “When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best.”
Quality was his trademark. Not a single Hallmark greeting card reached the marketplace without his “O.K.-J.C.” signoff. He was committed to giving the very best to his customers so they could give the very best to their loved ones.
We are motivated and inspired to strive for “the best” because we strive to reflect the character of the One — the only One in history — who absolutely did give His very best.
God gave His very best. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The gift of Jesus Christ to the world represents the high price God paid to give us His gift. God Himself is the best.
God gave the most expensive gift He had for you and me — Jesus. God gave for the best purpose. The best gifts accomplish the highest good for the recipient. They’re given for positive, uplifting purposes. God’s gift was given for the best purpose: That whoever believes in Christ, God’s gift, should not stay mired in sin but might be lifted up and planted on the solid rock of salvation and eternal life.
Joyce Hall set a high standard for excellence. But the perfect example of “caring enough to send the very best” is God’s gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. God loved enough to send the very best to those who could only be saved by a perfect Savior.
At this time of the year our thoughts are turned toward gifts. The most important gift we have to give every year is the gift we give back to God Himself — the gift of all that we are and have. Jesus described it as our “heart … soul, and … mind” (Matthew 22:37).
When we give ourselves wholly to God, we make known the riches of His grace and glory to the world, proclaiming Christ’s death until He comes (Romans 9:23; 1 Corinthians 11:26).
In the midst of your gift-giving this Christmas, reserve your best gift for the One who gave His best gift to you. Resolve this year be to give yourself — heart, soul, mind and strength — to God every day.
Make Christmas a year-long event as you unwrap yourself in the presence of God each day.
Show that you care enough to send Him the very best.