It’s All about THE GIFT
By Janet Byrne
“…the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23
What did you get for Christmas last year? My husband was asking me if I could remember my Christmas present from him. I had to be honest, I couldn’t. We laughed because he also forgot what I had given him. Neither of our gifts had left a mark on us. Maybe you are like us. Maybe you got that gift that you thought you couldn’t live without. And, two months later you had forgotten all about it. We know that Christmas isn’t supposed to be all about the gifts. But, Christmas is all about THE GIFT.
God’s Word tells us that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Christmas is a time when we get to remember the best present God would ever give to us—Jesus. If there were a present, a gift, that could leave a mark on us, it would be Jesus. Jesus is THE GIFT.
Jesus is the only gift that does not wear out, grow old, break down, become obsolete or need batteries. Receiving Jesus as a gift has nothing to do with our being “naughty or nice.” God gave us Jesus because He loves us unconditionally. There is nothing we have done to earn the gift of Jesus. There is nothing we could ever do to have God deny us the gift of Jesus…except refuse it ourselves. The gift that Jesus is to us is perfect, beautiful, comforting, empowering and awesome.
Christmastime can be tough for people who are hurting. It can be a time of feeling extreme sadness, but God blesses us with His son, Jesus, no matter how we are feeling. Jesus is the only gift that knows our hearts. The only gift that can mend our hearts. The only gift we need at Christmastime.
Many of us love giving that perfect present to somebody we care about. We take time to be certain it is exactly what was wanted. Then, we wrap it nicely and set it under the tree carefully. We give it to the person with great joy, anticipation and hope. There is something special about knowing that person loves the gift. It is a beautiful feeling, isn’t it? God is just as delighted to give us HIS gift. And, He wants us to be excited to receive it.
Will you participate in a gift-exchange with God this Christmas? He gives us His Son, and we give Him our hearts.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Have you received the gift of eternal life found only in Jesus? If not, what’s holding you back?
2. If you have, what kind of “thank you note” have you written recently to God?
3. This year you may hear people talking or grumbling…“Christmas, it’s all about the gifts….” Are you willing to tell them they are right—it’s all about THE GIFT?
FURTHER READING:
Luke 2; Ephesians 2
Janet is the Women’s Ministries Prayer Coordinator and cares for her husband, Yancy and their two sons.
