I’m sure you’ve had plenty of Christmas presents that once opened, mysteriously disappeared to the back of the cupboard ... or the pool room? Thoughtful family put receipts with the kids’ presents, just in case you already have one or it doesn’t fit. There’s something exciting about taking back something that's not quite what you wanted, and then to get what you really needed!
Through life we pick up lots of things that we don’t really want, sometimes we don’t even notice what we’re carrying, maybe its stress, anxiety, worry, negativity, control, greed, unnecessary wealth, expectations, responsibilities, even things that seem good but don’t really lead us in the direction we started out going. Sometimes it takes a while to notice what we’ve been carrying around, and by then we might think it’s too late to do anything about it.
But a wonderful gift was given to you, about 2000 years ago. The God and creator of the universe and our world, sent us a gift of friendship, of peace, of forgiveness, a truce, that everything’s okay between us and him. Such a humble gift, God’s own son, wrapped in the package of a little baby, born in a barn with the animals. This gift seemed so humble and so sweet, so poorly received by us humans, that the angels had to light up the sky and celebrate his birth.
But this wasn’t just a gift, but an exchange. He told men to lay down the human things that weighed them down, and to take up the peace and life of God. He told women to lay down their destructive thoughts and ways and to take up his forgiveness and grace, to be loved unconditionally.
No one knew, that though he had been sharing his life with them, in the end he would give the ultimate gift of his life, in a humiliating and painful death. He gave his life, so that if we choose, while our bodies our wasting away, that inwardly we can be filled with the life of God daily. His life was cut short at only 33 years of age, in a beautiful exchange, so that we could receive never-ending life with him.
We have to start this journey here with Jesus. Because it’s his birthday tomorrow. And he was the greatest gift to mankind. Without him there is no true satisfaction. Without him there is no true contentment, or peace, or love. There is a greater way. There is a gift for you under the Christmas tree, if you choose to unwrap it. Leave your worries, guilt, pain, heartache at the foot of his tree, the cross, and open your gift – an embrace of unconditional love, refreshing and healing for your soul, a friendship with your creator, and never-ending life.
What do you really want for Christmas?
No comments:
Post a Comment