Every year I promise myself it will be different. I’ll slow down and really focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Yet for some odd reason December always marks a season of increased frenzy. Who do I need to buy for? What kind of gifts would they like? Who is coming during the holidays? What meals will I prepare? What about cookies? The list goes on and on. Now please don’t misunderstand me. I love preparing for Christmas and I thoroughly enjoy having guests and family over. Unfortunately what often happens in such busyness is that the actual reason we are celebrating Christmas to begin with goes by unnoticed. While I’m so preoccupied in preparing for Christmas, baby Jesus does not get the attention he deserves. Sure the manger is set up next to the Christmas tree, but how often do I stop to look at it and ponder the miraculous event that occurred over 2,000 years ago? How often do I talk to my children about that beautiful baby lying in the manger? They are older now and know the Christmas story. Yet I still feel there is something else I should be focusing on. Something else I should be doing instead. And year after year I vow to change that. I promise to really slow down, forget about all the decorating, the baking, and the entertaining. I vow to tell my children let’s just pass on the gifts this year. Or better yet, let’s donate the money we’d normally spend on gifts to a charitable organization.
However, when Christmas arrives and my children open their gifts, and our family is sitting around the table together laughing and enjoying one another, I feel so happy and fulfilled. As I see the joy on everyone’s faces, all the time spent buying, decorating, cooking and baking has been worth it. I just know Jesus is sharing that joy with us. I can see Him smiling from heaven above as He sees us filled with happiness and laughter. He remembers we’re human; He knows all of our inadequacies; yet, He also knows we’re trying. We do know the true meaning of Christmas—it is all about Him. He’s the one who should be getting all the gifts, not us. But He’s okay with that too. He’s so incredibly generous. So much so that He gave us the greatest gift of all—Himself. And if we can just make a little room for Him in our hearts and invite Him in, I just know He’d be thrilled. After all, we’re the reason He came. We’re His gifts and He is filled with love for us. So much so that He left heaven to come to earth as a baby, live as a man, and suffer and die as a criminal. He did all of this to save us from eternal separation from Himself. He’s the greatest gift of all, and He is the reason we celebrate Christmas.
So let me ask you a question. If you haven’t opened that beautiful gift yet, the gift of Jesus, will you consider doing so? Or if you’ve opened His gift and received Him into your heart, but just haven’t taken the time to learn about Him and grow spiritually through bible study and prayer, can you commit to giving Him the gift of your time? You know what? You won’t ever need to open another gift, because He is all you’ll ever need. All other gifts will pale in comparison. No other gift will satisfy your deepest needs, longings, and desires. Other gifts are temporal and will fade away with time, but His gift is life-changing and eternal. You’ll notice that His gift will give you more love, more patience, more understanding, more hope, more faith, more strength, and more power than you have ever had before. His gift is the gift that keeps on giving. Yes, Jesus truly is the Greatest Gift of All!
However, when Christmas arrives and my children open their gifts, and our family is sitting around the table together laughing and enjoying one another, I feel so happy and fulfilled. As I see the joy on everyone’s faces, all the time spent buying, decorating, cooking and baking has been worth it. I just know Jesus is sharing that joy with us. I can see Him smiling from heaven above as He sees us filled with happiness and laughter. He remembers we’re human; He knows all of our inadequacies; yet, He also knows we’re trying. We do know the true meaning of Christmas—it is all about Him. He’s the one who should be getting all the gifts, not us. But He’s okay with that too. He’s so incredibly generous. So much so that He gave us the greatest gift of all—Himself. And if we can just make a little room for Him in our hearts and invite Him in, I just know He’d be thrilled. After all, we’re the reason He came. We’re His gifts and He is filled with love for us. So much so that He left heaven to come to earth as a baby, live as a man, and suffer and die as a criminal. He did all of this to save us from eternal separation from Himself. He’s the greatest gift of all, and He is the reason we celebrate Christmas.
So let me ask you a question. If you haven’t opened that beautiful gift yet, the gift of Jesus, will you consider doing so? Or if you’ve opened His gift and received Him into your heart, but just haven’t taken the time to learn about Him and grow spiritually through bible study and prayer, can you commit to giving Him the gift of your time? You know what? You won’t ever need to open another gift, because He is all you’ll ever need. All other gifts will pale in comparison. No other gift will satisfy your deepest needs, longings, and desires. Other gifts are temporal and will fade away with time, but His gift is life-changing and eternal. You’ll notice that His gift will give you more love, more patience, more understanding, more hope, more faith, more strength, and more power than you have ever had before. His gift is the gift that keeps on giving. Yes, Jesus truly is the Greatest Gift of All!
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
"If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." John 4:10
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