The Best Gift Ever!

"What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God."  - Eleanor Powell

I'm sure that I don't have to tell too many of you how stressful this time of the year can get. Besides the gift-shopping, gift-wrapping, card-sending, cooking, housecleaning, school activities, work, etc., a person can totally lose their focus on the true meaning of the season.

It's difficult not to get it face-first because we are slammed from every side. The endless advertisements with the cute, Christmas jingles, the stack of store-sale flyers that drop to floor as you open your morning paper, even the merchants who've all had their Christmas displays up since July add to the strain.

I know, I must sound like the biggest, Christmas Grinch, but I really do like the season! I also know that I am not alone in my sentiments. A few years ago, results from a survey revealed that 45% of Americans who were polled would rather skip the holiday altogether!

The main reason given was that the "financial pressure" of the holiday raised their stress level too high. It's no secret that many worry whether they can afford the holidays, or the credit card bills that will follow,

Granted, there are probably hundreds more stress-elevating reasons that could be given, but that alone says alot. Is this what Christmas has come to? Do we view Christmas as one big, free-spending, gift-giving, eating-binge holiday, and that's it?

I certainly hope not, because I know that we are better than that. Jesus' arrival on this earth signaled a change in our value system. His birth, life, and death represented God's eternal gift to us (1 John 2:25). By definition, things with eternal value are valuable forever. I dare anyone to find a comparable gift in any store or website.

Too many of us let what we do determine our value. I'm not speaking about what one does for a living, but rather our thoughts and actions. Look, the world in which we live has its own views about what is considered valuable. Included are: money and/or possessions; security and/or comfort; status and/or power; and of course, our influence on the world that lasts after we are gone (Hebrews 13:5).

While it's true that these are valuable components of life; their value is contained to this earthly life only. These items are not transferable when we pass on to eternity. When it's all said and done, we leave it all here (Matthew 6:19).

The best gift that was ever given to us, as an entire world, was Jesus Christ, the Son of God. On top of that, Jesus came to offer us another gift; a priceless gift of eternal value. This gift has no expiration date, and can be used by all (Ephesians 2:8). 

Oh, I almost forgot! There is one catch attached to this gift. We know this as God's Great Commandment: we must love God; and love each other (Matthew 22:34-40). This demonstates that only God and people have eternal value. It also means that our actions/efforts should be motivated by the effort to love God and one another.

And finally, after all the gifts have been opened, the holiday meals eaten, and friends and family have gone home, I ask you to think about something. In the final analysis, what we do here, in this life, affects our situation in eternity (John 6:40).

The best gifts are always the ones that are personal. God's gift to us, Jesus Christ, was his personal gift to us. He came to show us how to live our lives in this temporary world, so that we may live with Him in His eternal one. I guarantee that this is one gift that no one will want to exchange, or have refunded!

Scripture: Mark 10:23; Romans 12:18; Philippians 3:8; 2 Timothy 3:12; 2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Prayer:  Thank you, Holy Father, your faithful love endures forever. I give thanks to your name for you unfailing love and faithfulness. Your promises are secured by the eternal honor of your name. Amen

God bless you!

Tamara