Words of Worth

Regifting or Degifting?

December 22, 2017

Regifting is the act of taking a received gift and giving it to somebody else, often in the guise of a new gift. It has become such a practice that the USA has declared December 18th as “National Regifting Day”, and Canada has marketed December 26-30, as “National Regifting Week”! And now there are even websites and apps available to assist you in turning your unwanted gifts into cash! Candles, picture frames, and yes, fruitcake, make the top 10 list of the most regifted presents.

I’m not a Seinfeld Sitcom buff by any means, but I recently caught an episode from Season 6, entitled, “The Label Maker”, which apparently popularized the term, “re-gifting”. Jerry had Super Bowl tickets which he could not use because he was in a wedding on Super Bowl Sunday. So he gave his tickets to his dentist friend, Dr. Tim Whatley, who in turn thanked Jerry by giving him a label maker. One day, Elaine, Jerry’s friend, visits Jerry in his apartment and and sees the label maker and exclaims what a great gadget it is and how she had given one recently to Dr. Tim in exchange for free dental work he had performed on her impacted molar. Learning that Dr. Tim is the one who sent Jerry the gift, and why, Elaine connects the dots and declares that Dr. Tim is a “regifter”! As the story continues, the wedding on Super Bowl Sunday gets canceled, which frees Jerry to go to the game for which he no longer has tickets. So Jerry’s friends encourage Jerry to call Dr. Tim and ask for the tickets back because “if he can re-gift, you can de-gift!”

Whether you are a regifter or not, one thought that brings great comfort is that God is neither a regifter or degifter. In Romans 11: 29, Paul states this principle:

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

While the context of this verse is particularly relevant to the nation and ethnicity of Israel, the application is still true for those of us who have accepted the greatest gift ever given-the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ the son of God!

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6: 23

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him (Jesus Christ). That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 

Take comfort this holiday season – once you receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, God will never “de-gift” you!

Merry Christmas!