Tis the season for gift giving. As we finish up the Thanksgiving season, stores are in full swing to attract customers and improve sales. I am disappointed that Thanksgiving is now known as “Gray Thursday.” It cannot be good that we forget to give God thanks on this one special day of the year. It tells me that people are not very thankful for the money and things they so frantically go shopping for on “Black Friday.” Many people experience stress when it comes to Christmas, particularly because of the cultural obligation to buy presents for other people. It is always frustrating to find that perfect gift for that special person. Some people have a talent for this, but it is not one of my strengths.
Some of the greatest words of the Bible are found in John 3:16: “God so loved the world that He gave His Son!” God’s gift of Jesus is the greatest embodiment of grace. Jesus came to open the way to God. We were all dead in our sins. At this lowest point of our lives, God showed His love to us (Romans 5:6, 8). The irony of the Christian message is that God began the story of redemption in a lowly manger in the small, insignificant town of Bethlehem, to a lowly virgin engaged to a poor, working-class carpenter. God works through the little things of this world to bring about His awesome plan.
God still works through humble and faithful people. As Paul the Apostle says in 1 Corinthians 4:1, we are “stewards of the mysteries of God.” God wants to use each one of us this Christmas season to make an impact on another person. Jesus said, “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8). God has given us the gift of His Son and we are privileged to share this gift with others through our witness, lifestyle, and acts of love and compassion. Have a wonderful season of giving the Gift!
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