Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this. Titus 3:4-8 (MSG)
One day as I was rushing through the airport to catch a flight, a man stopped to offer me a free gift. All I have to do is sign up for a credit card and I would get free air miles. We’ve all seen this kind of thing before—get a “free gift” with the purchase.
Sometimes these deals are great, but they are not really free gifts. They come with conditions. You have to give something to get. A true gift is given without conditions.
At Christmas, although we joke around about the “naughty and nice list,” we don’t really expect kids to earn their gifts. We love to see their little faces light up on Christmas morning, regardless of their mess-ups and failures. God’s gift to us over 2,000 years ago was given in the same Spirit. He gives us Jesus—with no expectation that we would earn the right to have Him in our lives.
It’s a bit hard to wrap our heads around the thought of Jesus being a gift to us. It’s not like He’s sitting under your tree…yet He is the greatest gift ever given. Jesus’s name, Emmanuel, means “God is with us.” You see, Jesus made a way for us to have God with us every day of our lives. He accepts us unconditionally and His presence is the greatest gift we could ever receive.
Even in the middle of Christmas busy-ness, spend time with God. He is with you every day. Spending just a few minutes in His presence can make your day unfold in a much better way!