2010-12-14 - An Additional Christmas Gift

Matthew 2:11 (KJV) And when they (the Magi / "Wise Men") were come into the house,they saw the young child, with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts - gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Some of you may be thinking - oh no, I don't need one more thing on my "to do" list. Not to worry - I promise you that this one won't cost you one cent, and probably won't eat up much of your time. But it may turn out to be the most meaningful gift that you give during this holiday season.

I would like to encourage all of us to add Christ to our gift list.

After following the "Christmas star," the Magi presented the newborn King Jesus with gifts from their culture - in humble worship of our Lord. What can we, this 2010, give Him? What would Christ like from you? Perhaps some forgiveness for that person who hurt you deeply (this doesn't mean there is no accountabililty). Maybe a commitment to obeying his word, i.e. not living with a boyfriend/girlfriend before marriage, being honest etc. Or perhaps our gift needs to be a more patient attitude with family members, co-workers who aren't as skilled as ourselves, people in traffic - or harrried sales clerks. Maybe He would love to receive a gift of our spending more time in personal worship. Or perhaps he's leading you to join a local church, and use the talents that He gave you for the purpose of building the church and helping others. And as many of you already are doing, perhaps Christ is asking you/us to give to those who have fewer material resources than we do - via our church's food drive, sponsoring a child's Christmas through a trustworthy organization etc. After all, as the Bible teaches us, when we give to others in His name, we give to Him. What do you think He would like from you this Christmas?

And of course, the most important gift of all is to give ourselves to Christ, period. Christina Rossetti, author of the lovely traditional carol "In the Bleak Midwinter," penned these always-poignant words: "What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb. If I were a wise man, I woud do my part.Yet what can I give him, Give my heart. If we give Him our hearts, then everything else should fall into place.

If you haven't given Christ your heart, and trusted Him as Savior, you can do so the very moment you read this devotional. If you need more information or help with this, don't hesitate to write jmhoskins@gmail.com, lisacfdev@yahoo.com, acdum@hotmail.com or myself.

Jan

 Jan
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