Which Will Be for All the People

"But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid: for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.'" (Luke 2:10)

"What do you want for Christmas?"

I suppose after the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" then, "What do you want for Christmas?" is the second most common question asked of children. And if you are around children at all, you know that they will readily, thoughtfully and thoroughly answer this question. They have a list and they are happy to share their list with anyone who will listen.

I remember when I was a child. One set of grandparents used to send me socks and underwear for Christmas. I wanted toys and games, nut they sent me socks and underwear. They didn't give me what I wanted; they gave me something I needed. In my youthful frustration, I remember one time throwing their gift under my bed and leaving it there for weeks.

Now that I am an adult, my children ask what I want for Christmas and my response is often, "I could really use some new socks and underwear." With time comes maturity. We watch our lives pass by and we see how the things we wanted have come and gone. What once was something we "have to have" becomes something to be sold at the next garage sale.

Christmas is the season we give gifts to family and loved ones. Why? The gifts we give are a symbol of the gifts brought to Jesus when He was born. But they are more than that. The gifts we give are symbols of the gifts that God has sent to us. What gifts did God send at this time?

This Advent/Christmas season, we will be focusing our attention on The Gifts of Christmas. What gifts did God send to the world when He sent His Son to be born here? We will focus on the gift of salvation, the gift of Emmanuel, the gift of peace, the gift of joy and the gift of a baby.

Sometimes I wonder if these gifts are really what I think we think they are. The people of Jesus' day were looking for a certain kind of savior, but Jesus did not fulfill their desires. They had their hearts set on a different kind of Messiah. God sent what the people of the world needed, not necessarily what the people wanted.

Are we at all like the people of the first century? Do we accept only the gifts from God we want and toss the gifts we need under the beds of our lives? We'll be wrestling with these questions as we seek to gratefully and humbly receive God's rich blessings this holiday season.

May God bless us, every one!

In His Love & Service,

Lance