Giving ChallengeNäide

Jesus Gave Eternally

As my wife Allison and I enter our mid-40s, we've come to realize that very few of our wedding gifts are still in use. After 21 years of marriage, things have worn out and need to be replaced. Our furniture, bedding, and kitchen utensils all need replacement more frequently. We are realizing how temporary our material things are. What actually lasts?

John 3:16 is one of the most famous verses in the Bible because it captures this truth so simply: God loved, so He gave. And what He gave was His Son, so that all who believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life. This isn’t just about living forever. It’s about living forever with God, free from sin.

Jesus didn’t come to offer temporary fixes that would last only a few years. He came to give us what nothing and no one else could: eternal life. In John 10:28, He promises, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (NIV). The life He gives is secure, unshakable, and everlasting. It’s not dependent on your strength, your works, or your ability to hold on. It’s dependent on His grip. His grip never slips or wears out!

This eternal gift also changes how we live in our day-to-day. When we know our future is secure in Christ, we live with greater freedom, courage, and hope. Even death loses its power, because as Paul says in Romans 6:23 (NIV), “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Our stuff will continually need to be replaced or repaired. But Jesus invites us to anchor our lives in something that will never be taken away. Eternal life isn’t just a future reality; it’s a present hope that shapes how we live today.

Challenge:
Take a few minutes to write down one eternal gift Jesus has given you. Perhaps it’s forgiveness, peace, salvation, or the hope of heaven. Then thank Him for it in prayer, and ask Him to help you live today with an eternal perspective.