The Gift of Eternal Life

By Heidi Ammons

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - USA

Dedication: I dedicate this devotional to my dear friends, Bobbi Jo Bush and Jennifer Becknell. 

Scriptures:

• 1 Peter 1:3b-4
• 1 John 5:11-12
• Romans 6:23

As I was growing up, each year my family would ask me for a Christmas list so that they could give me some things that I wished for. When I was younger, my Christmas list consisted of whichever toy was the most popular that year, like a convertible car for my Barbie doll. I would see endless commercials or advertising for it in store catalogs and I held on to my anticipation of whether it would be wrapped for me on Christmas Day.

Over time, as I got older, I wanted gifts that would outlive any of the latest trends – gifts that were useful in helping me keep up a home by making my life more convenient. I remember getting a cordless vacuum one year. Oh, joy!

Nowadays, what I enjoy is something that can enhance my overall wellness. (Ever hear of a grounding mat?) Our view of the gifts we request changes as we go through life.

As I have moved through the decades, I am more mindful of what I ask for. I think about how many years it will last and consider whether it is worth the investment. How long is its “shelf life”?

Imagine receiving a gift that will never expire, that needs no warranty or will never need a replacement?

Such is the greatest gift that the Father has in store for you – your eternal life!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you…

1 Peter 1:3b-4 (NIV)

This gift even comes with a protection plan!

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1 John 5:11-12 (NIV)

You see, every material gift I have received in my life will eventually serve its time, or break apart, or become lost, or get dropped off at the donation center. I will not have any need or reason for it.

Eternal life is the greatest gift that can only come to us from the Father, through the Son.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (NIV)

In 2024, I lost two very very precious friends. Seeing them live and die faithfully has made the gift of eternal life much more meaningful and present in my life today. They each challenged me to keep embracing life and making wonderful memories while on this earth. They shared, “If you are still living, then live.”

 Bobbi Jo (right) and me

Though they shared the hard and beautiful times during their transition, they knew that their hope in this gift of eternal life was close at hand.

This year as we celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus into this world, let us celebrate that the gift of Jesus is the reason we have eternal life. It is the gift that keeps on giving!

None of us are promised tomorrow, so let us live today; and when our time comes around, know that we will still live on!

 Fun times with Jennifer

Questions for Reflection:

1. Close your eyes and imagine seeing your name in the Book of Life. Pause. How does this mental picture make you feel? Use this imagery throughout your day and week and notice if you begin to view things in your life any differently from before.

2. Make a list of some of your favorite material things from today or past gifts you’ve received. Write them down. Will any of them be with you in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years?

Today I Will:

If you don’t have one already, pray for one of your spiritual friends to partner with you so that you may encourage each other to remember that we are living for so much more than the “now.” Help point one another to the “mile markers” that are taking us to our eternal gift, eternal life.

About the Author:

Heidi Ammons resides in beautiful Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. She is an avid seeker of all things interesting, adventurous, and fun. She  loves spending time with her husband, Curt, and all of their adult children. (Like…really loves it!) Heidi has served in the full-time ministry for 30 years and currently helps lead the Milwaukee Church of Christ in the Midwest Family of Churches.