Picture this….Your beloved child wakes up very early, thoroughly excited as it’s their birthday… they rush to your room to rouse you out of sleep and you dreamily say…“We know it’s your birthday but we’ve been busy buying gifts for other people, it’s been a very distracting time, we actually didn’t think much about you… Sorry!”How invisible would your child feel? How would YOU feel on your special day? Forgotten and unimportant come to mind!I love driving by a specific church in Bagshot on the weekday school run. On a big poster board lies a wrapped gift with a text which says… LOVE, PEACE, JOYThink outside the box this Christmas.Picture this…Christmas Day is fast approaching and it’s a time when we supposedly celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was born as a baby in a very humble manger and lived a life of sacrifice to draw us closer to God.Yet, we rush around, making this season of thankfulness one of stress and anxiety. We buy gifts we can’t afford and eat too much. We forget about people who are truly alone and drink too much. The day goes by quickly and we’re left feeling empty.We have fallen into the hands of makers, manufacturers and marketing moguls as pawns who derive short term pleasure from goods and services that are not built to last and certainly don’t stand the test of time anymore.C’est la vie… Welcome to democracy! Welcome to the 21st century!! Welcome to our free market economy!!! Do pass me another glass of dry sherry and a deep filled mince pie.LOVE, PEACE, JOY are soon replaced with ANGER, UNREST, DEPRESSION!I’m not instigating a ban on gift giving at Christmas time – that’s actually displaying part of the spirit of Christmas. Jesus thought about others so often while He walked the earth. That’s a fab ‘tradition’ to keep. It’s actually a great way to live.What I’m asking us to do MORE of is to give to God FIRST by celebrating Him, first and foremost, as the ultimate gift. When we allow God to be part of our gift giving, we actually make the best choices for ourselves and others.A young 5 year old boy was asked what he’d like for Christmas and he simply said, “ice cream!” How profound! Such simplicity! We still have SO MUCH to learn from children.In a society like ours, this innocent 5 year old would be made to feel like his or her wish for ice cream at Christmas was not cool enough, not Christmassy enough and not creative enough. At this formidable stage of life, they start to learn that more is better, that wanting (or demanding) outweighs giving and that asking for small things is “playing small.”What started off as beautiful and innocent soon becomes ugly entitlement…His or her parents decided to develop their child’s interest in ice cream by buying them a branded ice cream maker, an extra large ice cream bowl and spoon with he child’s favourite cartoon characters painted all over and a DVD called The Great British Chill Off – where celebrities battle to churn out the best ice cream combos!Now we’re talking!! Or, perhaps, Not!
So, In what ways can WE give to Christ first on HIS “birthday?”What really matters to the heart of God?Who in your life now can you offer the gift of FORGIVENESS?Don’t wrap it up and keep it, give it!Which charity will benefit from you giving to them to further their good causes?Don’t earn it and keep it all, give some!Could you give blood and possibly save a life?It replenishes itself quickly, donate some!Do your children really need that extra toy, gadget or item of clothing?Or would they benefit more from your quality time, training and heart investment?Look deeper and give more enduring “gifts”What about that argumentative neighbour who has absolutely no one to spend xmas with?Invite them in, share the warmth of your home.Are you estranged from family members, children and dear friends?Pick up the phone and make that call. A text, whatsapp message, FaceBook poke or Instagram post won’t salvage the mess.Share your voice, your heart and your thoughts!Give the amazing gift of prayer for our troubled world, friends in need, families in crisis and countries at war.Give FIRST what pleases God and all other gift giving won’t leave you feeling harried, harassed, hurried and financially over-drawn. God’s gifts keep on giving. There’s a very special power in them.I’m grateful that in this festive season I can really think outside the box and give to others because Jesus thought outside His bubble and gave His precious gift FIRST…
Show Up, Speak Up, Spark things Up,