The Very Best Gift

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV)

Can you remember what gift you received at Christmas twenty-five years ago? I can!

When our son was quite small, he saved up about two dollars to buy Christmas gifts for his mother and me. I went with him to the store to buy his mother's gift and his mom took him with her to buy my gift. Our son bought me a roll of black electrical tape after apparently much deliberation. He saw many things he would like to buy for me, but his budget wasn't that big. He was so excited when he gave me his gift to open. It had to be the first one for me to unwrap. I made a really big fuss about how I needed just that kind of tape to do repairs around the house. He was so thrilled that I liked it. That was the best present that I received that year, because he bought it with his own money, because he picked it out himself, and best of all, because of the smile on his face when I raved over it. He learned at that early age that it was just as much fun to give as to receive.

In fact, every Christmas after that, I have received a roll of black electrical tape, even though my son is now twenty-seven years old! I still see the twinkle in his eye when I unwrap that roll of tape, and I remember the first Christmas that he gave this precious gift to me.

Similarly, the very first Christmas came about because God gave mankind the precious gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, who in turn continues to give of Himself over and over, sets an example for each of His followers.

Prayer: Lord God, grant us the spirit of generosity this Christmas as we too seek to remember that it is indeed more blessed to give than to receive. Amen.

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