I wonder how God feels with all our merger and less than perfect offerings that He has no use or need for?
Maybe like me, when a kid gives me something badly made, and probably entirely useless, but they really think it is special - and think enough of me to want me to have it.
I think God sees past the "stuff" to the heart, like with the woman who gave the couple of pennies. He honoured her as much as the woman who poured her life savings over His feet... (tut, tut, what a waste!)
Now, I don't like waste, and I don't like excess, I don't like being given things that aren't useful or practical and it used to annoy me dreadfully, but now I remember, what they do to me, they do to Christ. And Christ looks at the heart of the giver rather than passes a judgment on the gift.
I must remember that if my my cup is full .... and runs over so I have more than enough or what I want or need , I may be given things that I can share if I do not need them. Then the giver is blessed by my happiness in acknowledging the heart of the gift, and the person I eventually pass it to is blessed if the need or want it. What if receiving it with sincere thankfulness is more of a gift to the person than anything we could have done or bought for them? Isn't it about esteeming others higher than ourselves, thinking more of them and doing what builds them up?
All good gifts come from the Father at the end of the day, and if we turn away a giver, we turn away a representation of Christ. However minute the resemblance is. Especially if they are a believer or give to me because I am a believer.
Hope that helps. All this stuff shall pass away, but love remains, so we need to receive the love behind the gift and remember that is what matters to the Lord, and our reactions are what matter where we are concerned.
With the case of a married couple, who knows if the Lord uses these pointless gestures and unwanted gifts to do a work in the heart of the receiver, to teach them grace and gratitude.
