The Greatest Gift

THE GREATEST GIFT

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

We are into the full swing of the Christmas season.  We hustle and bustle and make our plans for the perfect day, the perfect gifts and the perfect meal.

For some of us there is an underlying dread about the after Christmas credit card bills, unmet gift expectations and concerns about family drama.  The pressure steals so much of the joy we should be experiencing, that we eagerly await December 26th so we can take it all down.

I don’t think this is at all what the Lord had in mind when He left His seat at the right hand of the Father to live among sinners, the unrepentant and the unwashed.  He left the opulence of Heaven to take the lowest place.  He exchanged royal robes and a scepter for a servant’s towel and carpenter’s tools.

Two thousand years later we gather in celebration of His birth, but find ourselves buying gifts for one another instead of Him, the One whose birth we celebrate.  But what would we offer the One who literally has everything?

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.” - I Corinthians 13:13.

The most lasting gifts we can offer Him are our faith, hope and the greatest of all, love.

Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus.  Lord Jesus, thank You for coming as Emmanuel, God with us.  Walking the Earth, Your gifts of love were not wrapped with paper and bows or bought in a store.  They were on full display in the laying on of hands, the feeding of the poor, the donning of a towel to wash dusty feet and through offering outstretched arms nailed to a tree.

Lord, we praise You for Your ultimate gift.  While we also enjoy the cultural trimmings of the season, we ask that they would not overshadow the treasure in the manger, the simplicity of the message, or the profoundness of its impact.  Lord, may our gift to You be our sincere love and faithful obedience.

May the gifts we offer one another look less like something from a store and more like the laying on of hands, the feeding of the poor, the donning a towel to wash dusty feet and the offering of outstretched arms of love and forgiveness to embrace the hurting, broken, forgotten, rejected, misunderstood and disenfranchised.  May we offer the greatest and most lasting of all gifts, love.

Then, when Christmas morning has been fully opened, the trash can is full of the remains of torn wrapping paper, discarded boxes and bows, may the gifts our guests treasure most of all be memories of our touch on their shoulder, the meeting of eyes and the warm embrace and the love they felt.  Help us to focus on giving the greatest gift this year.  And may my precious friend reading this receive the same gift in return.  In Jesus’ Name ❤️

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