Christmas time again! Remember when you were a child, the wonderful anticipation of Christmas morning, the excitement of running to the Christmas tree to open your presents? What a feeling of joy and happiness. Even as an adult you get that same feeling, remarkable how that joy is everlasting throughout your lifetime.
Is joy during Christmas about giving or receiving? Has the essence of Christmas has been lost through its commercialized business emphasis? Today all I hear about is what retailers think, their sales forecast, and what new products and services manufacturers are rolling out for consumers at Christmastime, and most of all how much money businesses are going to make above last year.
This Christmas, let’s think about those really in need, those children who will not have a tree, who will not get a present, who may not even have a roof over their heads, and those who may be cold Christmas night and hungry Christmas morning.
God gave us a beautiful present Christmas morning, his only son, and gave us his only son once again, by giving his son’s life to save us.
Through his son, he again “gave,” he gave us access to him through prayer, he also gave us everlasting life and most of all the greatest gift of all, he forgave us our sins, cleansed us and gave us an opportunity to have a clear pathway to Heaven with him.
To me this is the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is about giving of your heart to others. God gave each of us the precious gift of life. He has planned our lives, he has also given us other specific gifts, some of us can teach, speak, write, some are great in business and have the opportunity to enable others to work and live a good life.
Some have excess to give back, some of us are kind, thoughtful, caring, some of us have the gift of empathy and listening. Can we live every day throughout the year like Christmas day? Is this the true meaning of Christmas, always giving and helping those in need?
I don’t expect to live a perfect life, but this Christmas I can only ask you to look at your life, look at your unique gifts, and with humility and his spirit that is within all of us, let His light shine in you.
Christmas is about accepting and receiving Christ into our lives. He will bless your life with gifts beyond any treasure of this earth. Have faith, hope, trust and love.
Have a blessed, safe and peaceful Christmas.