Jesus Is The Only Gift That Matters
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. -- James 1:17
All of the Christmas presents are finally wrapped and placed under the tree. Will the recipients like the gifts? Will I have wasted hard-earned money on things that will only end up in a garage sale? Will I be criticized and ridiculed for choosing wrong gifts?
I realize it’s impossible to please everyone all of the time. It’s even impossible to please some folks any of the time. Still, we want to give good gifts at Christmas. We want to see faces light up with joy. We want to know we chose correctly and that the recipients really like what we purchased for them.
As I wrapped package after package, I had to wonder if somehow we’ve missed the point of it all. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I like getting presents just as much as everyone else. And I even enjoy giving them. But, you know, it’s not my birthday. And it’s probably not yours either.
When did the birth of our Lord and Savior become more about Santa Claus than about a tiny baby lying in a manger? When did gifts for ourselves and those we care about become more important than those the wise men brought to Bethlehem? When did we lose focus of God’s plan for us all? And when did we start letting ourselves get so caught up in the retail marketing frenzy that we spend too much on items that won’t mean much in a few weeks or months instead of placing our focus on all things eternal?
What would be the most wonderful Christmas gift this year? To know that all those I love and care about truly know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I don’t mean that they know the right answers to the questions. I want them to know Him in their hearts. Any of you who have people close to you who aren’t saved know exactly what I’m talking about.
The only perfect gifts come from God. Everything else is only temporary. So why do we focus so much more time, energy and money on the temporary and neglect the eternal? Our priorities are all messed up. We are on a marketing-frenzy merry-go-round and there doesn’t seem to be a place to get off without being labeled Scrooge.
I’m going to have a wonderful time these next few days. I look forward to watching the children in my life tear into their gifts. I anticipate the adults opening their own gifts. I can’t wait to see what’s in the packages with my name on the tag. But I also realize those things, no matter how wonderful, won’t last.
The real gift of this holiday season was a baby born one night in a stable. God’s Son. Born to save the world. Born to save you and me. As we enjoy our gifts these next few days, let us also remember the greatest gift we’ve ever been given.
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