The Sacrifice of “the Gift”
By
Jen Wollner
“…the
time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son…”
Luke
2:6-7a (NIV)
‘Tis the season of
gift-giving. And, let me tell you, I’ve been working my tail off! Going from
store to store to find the perfect gift for everyone on my list takes a lot of
time and energy. I’ve spent countless hours planning, researching and shopping.
Not to mention handing over fistfuls of cash! Okay, not cash exactly, but the
credit card bill adds up quickly!
Don’t get me wrong. I’m
grateful to have the means to be able to shower my loved ones with various
Christmas presents. And the joy I receive in giving is absolutely worth the
effort. But, let’s be honest, the blessing comes with a bit of sacrifice, too.
I’m using just about all of my free time and literally losing sleep to get
ready for Christmas. I’m giving up hard-earned money, even sacrificing many
hours of my mental and physical energy to earn extra money to pay for a special
gift this year.
What about you? What
are you sacrificing in order to give your friends and family precious gifts
this Christmas? No gift is free. All gifts cost the giver in some way. There’s
always something given up in order to bless someone else.
At this time of year,
we often hear the analogy that Jesus is “the Gift” of Christmas. We’re
encouraged to focus on a baby in a manger and the life He would ultimately give
up. But what about the sacrifice before the Cross? The one that started in
Mary’s womb? Have you ever thought about what Jesus gave up to come here? Have
you pondered the sacrifice He made just to become human? Christmas…the very
birth of Jesus…came at great personal cost.
Jesus left His Father.
He gave up His crown. He sacrificed His majesty. He said good-bye to His
perfect home and chose to come into a dark, sinful world. And He did it with
great joy, knowing His obedience to His Father’s will would be worth it. You
see, He gave up Heaven, so that someday, you could have it.
Now that’s sacrificial
giving.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Spend some quiet
time with Jesus today, thanking Him for the sacrifice of His birth.
2. How can you
demonstrate sacrificial giving this Christmas to someone in need?
FURTHER READING:
Jen
and her husband are busily parenting three elementary aged children. She serves
on the leadership team for Mission: Hope, Oakwood’s orphan care ministry.
