As you shopped for bargains this past Black Friday, did you see the diamond-studded Superlative Luxury T-shirt, priced at $400,000? How about a sport coat made of vicuña wool for $22,000? Would a pearl watch valued at $61,500 be a better gift than a Timex? If those items are too expensive for your budget, did you consider a Saint Laurent dress for $13,090 or a pair of Christian Louboutin peep-toe pumps priced at $3,695 for your next Christmas party?

Yup. actual items, factual prices.

I hate to sound like a curmudgeon, but really?

It brings tears to my eyes when I hear about such extravagant expenditures while remembering the needs of ministries such as food pantries, crisis pregnancy centers, and homeless shelters.

I’m probably feeling just a bit more sensitive about this today. I recently attended a fundraising dinner for our local crisis pregnancy center. Through careful stewardship, I’ve watched the director multiply her limited resources in ways that remind me of Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand.

But there’s one more extravagant expenditure that brings tears to my eyes for a very different reason. It’s the extravagance exhibited by our heavenly Father when He lavished His grace on every believer who trusts Jesus Christ for redemption from the penalty, power, and presence of sin.

I love that word. Lavish. It can be used as an adjective or a verb. When an item is lavish, it is elaborate and luxurious. When I lavish something on you, I am generously giving in large amounts.When you speak to your children about God’s love and grace, what adjectives do you use? Are words such as lavish, generous, and abundant included in your description? Do you speak of God’s love as extravagant, bountiful, and rich? Teach your children and grandchildren that God’s love is bigger than they could ever imagine…yet small enough to fit in a manger!

I’m glad the apostle Paul described God’s grace as lavish (Ephesians 1:7-8). It’s the perfect description for how God responds to us. At the cost of the life of His Son, He is extravagantly generous to those who don’t deserve it. Yup, lavish is the right word!