Merry Christmas! I went Christmas caroling in the Atlantic community with 17 friends from my church last Monday night. We visited seven people, all of whom blessed me with radiant smiles and sincere appreciation for our visit, songs, and baskets of fruit and homemade cookies. It’s amazing how such a small offering could translate into such a big blessing. Gifts of any sort are powerful reminders of our loving God. We give gifts at Christmas because God gave his very best gift to the world: Jesus.
When my kids were little, I used to wrap a baby doll in a blanket on Christmas Eve, place it in a wooden box, and pretend we were worshipping Baby Jesus on the night of his birth. We’d give him gifts, as the Wise Men did. I always tried to help them understand that we need to give our best to him, and that everything we have ultimately belongs to God. This is a tough lesson for kids to absorb, but I tried.
The first Christmas after I began writing for publication, I gave Baby Jesus a three-ring binder, symbolizing my writing. Another year I gave him my checkbook, obviously signifying my money. My daughter offered her favorite baby doll one. My son gave his favorite toy car.
I think it’s worthwhile to take a moment and reflect on what you can give to Jesus at Christmas. Ultimately, since God owns everything, what he most wants is our love—our hearts. I’m often struck by the fact that God wants us to love him of our own choosing. He doesn’t force his way into our hearts. He doesn’t corral his sheep; he calls them gently, repeatedly, and lovingly.
God placed the yearning to love and be loved in our hearts. Did you ever think about that? God loved us first, and he wants us to love him back. I think this is why it’s so wonderful to learn or already know that someone you love returns your affection, and so excruciating to discover the opposite is true.
Imagine how the pain of rejection would be magnified when you are the definition of love, agape. The greatest gift you can give is love, and there is no one more deserving of love than our great Savior. If you’ve never chosen Jesus, make this Christmas season the time when you give your heart to him. It’s all he wants for Christmas.