This year for Christmas, I made all the presents for my close friends. I make gifts not just because I am a poor college student, but also because I feel these gifts are more special. Not that buying gifts is wrong, I love receiving purchased clothes and gift cards (hint-hint Mom and Dad).
But, I give hand-crafted gifts because receiving a custom, unique gift that is one of a kind in the entire galaxy has a special effect on people.
Giving gifts and seeing how genuinely appreciative a person is, is rewarding itself. In our culture, giving gifts is a custom that we do out of love and compassion. We give gifts to make others happy.
Yet, how many times do we fail to acknowledge every day the best gift ever created by the Lord Himself?
I know that I personally fail to appreciate the ultimate gift every day; I commonly take for granted the Salvation promised through the Crucifixion of the Lord’s only Begotten Son.
We give Gifts in Honor of the greatest gift the World has ever received!
John 3:16 States: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (NIV).”
The gift of Christ was given to us out of the Lord’s Love and His Compassion. We know that we do not deserve such a wonderful gift. Heck, if God was Santa- we would probably all receive coal for being on the Naughty List, all because of the sin we commit unintentionally on a daily basis.
However, God is not Santa.
He is the God that loves us unconditionally, even though we don’t deserve it.
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
1 John 4:9-12
His Love surpasses all things. He blessed us with His son because he wants us to be happy, and to spend all eternity with Him rejoicing in His Righteousness.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (NIV).”- Romans 21: 4
True, we can never love as much as God, or give the best gift ever (since it was already given).
Gifts are more than physical items, gifts are small things of actions and spoken words through Love!
But, I challenge you- next time you give a gift, ponder the amount of joy the person will receive.
Next time you compliment someone, how much joy will they receive…will it come off as negative criticism?
When you refer to someone in a conversation, are you speaking harmful things that can cause emotional pain?
“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
-John 3:18
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