Galatians 4:4-5
"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons"
In a flash on an eye, the year is coming to an end and soon it's Christmas! Somehow, I'm always excited over Christmas because it's THE season which gets me tingly with a festive mood of happiness. I'm quite certain it's also to do with all that buying and receiving of gifts. Although, as we age, the process of buying endless amount of gifts is getting more taxing and often get a bit meaningless when we give them to people simply because we feel obligated to.
Perhaps you have certain expectations of what you hope to find waiting for you on Christmas day. In church, we give out Christmas presents to friends after the sunday Christmas service. It is an annual Christmas gift exchange frenzy as we lug all our gifts to church and then rush about to find people to give presents to. Often, when someone buys us a gift and we didn't buy them one in return, we'll end up feeling guilty. This would then result in adding them to next year's Christmas present list which of course would balloon in size. That truely makes Christmas a nightmarish time of the year.
If you put your hope in what Christmas gifts you'll get and who will give it to you, be prepared to be very disappointed. But if you can get past that to what Christmas is really all about, it truly can be "the most wonderful time of the year."
The wise men brought the rather unusual gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus. But the first Christmas gifts were not gifts to the Child. The first Christmas gift was the gift of the Child. Christmas, at its best and purest state, is a promise of God's love for mankind, something that no holiday or experience or earthly thing can satisfy.
When the actual day of Christmas is over, all presents are opened and the floor is strewn with discarded wrapping paper, what do we have left? It often doesn't enrich our lives one bit more.
Last Christmas, I recalled seeing how Christmas can be a boring, lonely thing for the few who don't have many friends in their inner circle. I realised that I rather get a gift for them than to get gifts for the friends which I already spend time, money and love throughout the year. So, this year I shall start to celebrate Christmas differently, and I'm choosing to start with those who have lesser presents during Christmas and hopefully demonstrate the love of God for them during this Christmas.
The real message of Christmas is not the gifts that we give to each other. Rather, it is a reminder of the gift that God has given to each of us. It is the only gift that truly keeps on giving and with what we have, I pray that you too will show to someone that God loves them, not just your inner clique of friends.
blessings,
M.
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him." (1 John 4:9)
