“16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
James 1:16-18 ESV.
In the Garden of Eden, God created humanity with a purpose: to bear His image (Genesis 1:26) as a reflection of His character. The extent of our reflection appears to be over everything, as we were given dominion over all we can physically touch.
Early in the narrative of Genesis, we read the account of Cain and Abel. Most of us know the story where eventually Cain killed Abel, but I want to focus on the beginning of the story. Both sons of Adam provide an offering to the Lord. Cain offered a portion of his fruits of the ground, and Abel offered from the firstborn of his flock. It was the firstborn that God was most pleased with. You can read the passage in Genesis 4.
Returning to the text in James today, he mentions the idea of humanity being the first fruits of God’s creatures. We were designed to be a fragrant offering to God – we were designed to bear his image. So everything we have in this life is given to us through God’s provision. Whatever your position on earthly possessions, all that we have is a gift from God. It goes further than possessions alone. Experiences, wisdom, knowledge and all spiritual gifts are packaged here. Everything is a gift from God, and in His providence, He uses everything for good.
About the time of the Reformation (1500s) was a priest named Ignatius of Loyola. In a time of great turbulence and cultural upheaval, one of his focuses was on spiritual formation, guiding people into a closer relationship with Jesus. As you go about your week ahead, contemplate his prayer below:
“Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and all my will – all that I have and possess. You, Lord, have given all that to me. I now give it back to you, O Lord. All of it is yours. Dispose of it according to your will. Give me your love and your grace, for that is enough for me.”
Ignatius of Loyola, The Spiritual Exercises and Selected Works, edited by George E. Ganss (New York: Paulist, 1991), 54.
God bless.
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