Christmas Gifts
It’s that time of year when we are trying to decide what Christmas gifts to give to our family and friends. The top recurring gifts at Christmas include candy, something homemade, gift cards/money, books, and pajamas. According to polls from last Christmas, people spent around $100 for a gift for their family member, and $50 for a friend or co-worker.
However, most of us have gifts from previous Christmas celebrations that no longer function or fit. We should dispose of them, but out of respect to the beloved giver, we keep these unusable gifts in the garage or attic. Sentiment trumps pragmatism.
Our gift-giving tradition is rooted in the Christmas story where the Magi (Wise Men) brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby Jesus (Matthew 2). Since we cannot give physical gifts to Jesus, we give them to one another in celebration of His birth. But do not forget the reason for the Season.
Touchable gifts for our family are proper, important, and expected. But there are some sacred gifts to give this Christmas that will last longer and will provide much satisfaction. Prayerfully consider how to give these incredible gifts this Christmas as found in 1 Corinthians 13:13:
1. Give faith – Romans 10:17 NKJV, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” People spend an enormous amount of time reading their tablets and iPhones. They know what happened in Europe within minutes of the event. Sports scores and political rallies are heard in real time. But none of these build faith. In fact, most news reports destroy faith and trust.
Try this: Read the Bible this Christmas! Gift a Bible to family members, or purchase apps for their devices where they can easily locate the Scriptures. And build their faith by sharing testimonies of answered prayer and Divine intervention in your life. Make Christmas personal.
2. Give hope – Colossians 1:27 NKJV, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” There is no hope without Jesus. Speak words of hope this Christmas. Refuse to be a Debbie-downer or misery magnate. Many people wrongly look for hope in the financial markets, politics, sports, science, or even the Supreme Court!
But the only hope of the world is Jesus. Searching for authentic hope outside of Christ will only bring heartache and disappointment. As it says in 1 Timothy 1:1 NKJV, “The Lord Jesus, our hope.”
3. Give love – Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV – “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” God’s love is eternal, deep, and unchanging. Worldly love is sensual and narcissistic. An excellent example of Godly love is seen at Christmas when God sent His only Son to earth as a baby (John 3:16). Tell the story of the Nativity to all who will listen. It is an awesome love story for today.
This Christmas, give your family and friends the gifts of faith, hope, and love. They will thank you for eternity.
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