I think you are going to be blessed by this Easter reflection from guest blogger, Josh Strong.  I confess, I forgot to post this last week but it’s just too good not share with you.  So, even the day after Easter, I hope this can serve as a reminder to us all about the event we’ve just celebrated.  Enjoy…

In the midst of all the Easter baskets, colored eggs, and fake grass, I find myself trying to teach my two children what the season is all about.  Believe me, I understand the fun of chasing down that coveted Easter egg, in my Sunday best, after a very fun and entertaining Sunday school lesson.  I can remember how competitively I would run through the freshly cut grass to find the plastic, bright colored eggs, searching for the ones that weighed the most.  The heavier they were the more candy they had in them!  Some even had the party sized Snicker’s… hmmm-mmm… my favorite!  Oh… Those were the days!

But even with those great memories, I still always knew the reason that we were outside finding Easter eggs wasn’t because of some bunny but because God’s only son, Jesus, had been raised from the dead.  As a father, I want those same colorful memories for my kids, but I also want them to realize the sacrificial gift that God gave.

I guess you can say that’s what Easter is about to me- God’s sacrificial giving was the birthplace of my freedom.  Jesus came as a seed-sown by God, and not just another seed thrown into the wind, but His best seed, His only son.  I have to be honest here.  I couldn’t watch my son suffer for other’s sin.

Jesus was beaten and bruised so that we could live a life free from the curse of sin.  But that wasn’t enough.  He was hung upon tree until he died, and was, then, “sown” into a tomb.  Did you know that seeds die in the ground?  They die before something on the inside of them begins to grow.  What a powerful illustration that is for our Christian walk!

So, this Easter, while we were painting eggs, and buying candy, here at our house, we were also trying to instill in our kids something more special than any amount of snack sized Snicker’s; a lesson in giving sacrificially.  On a day when God gave the most precious seed He had, we should honor Him and give back.

Can you imagine if every one of us who believe in His Seed, Jesus, would do this?  If we would give sacrificially of our time to make sure that none of our kids would grow up not knowing Him… Or if we would give sacrificially with our talents to ensure that the church was strong for generations to come… Or if we all gave sacrificially with our finances to make sure that this generosity didn’t just stay within our 4 walls, but could go out into the neighborhoods here, in Kiev, Ukraine, in Haiti, and all around the world.

Easter reminds me that we are givers because our God is a giver!