Our gift to jesus
The Christmas season has to be the best time of the year; I loved it as a kid and even more as a PARENT. I love seeing my kids sneak into my office to try to catch a glimpse of their presents. I love to decorate the tree with them and watch Christmas movies. I especially love to see their faces when they open their gifts on Christmas morning. It truly is a beautiful season!
Around this time, I like to sit back and reflect on God's work in my life and my family. I have moments of joy reminiscing on His faithfulness and mercy. And as I am pondering these things, the thought of paying Him back often comes to my mind. Now I know that I could never repay Him for everything He has done. But still, there is something in me that wants to give something to Him.
My daily prayer is that my life would be a gift back to the Lord. I pray that the church we are building would be an offering to Jesus. That the way I live my everyday life would be acceptable to Him! That at the end of my life, I did my very best to please the Lord.
I know you probably have the same desire that I do! That you desire a life that pleases Jesus. You want to live a life that is a gift back to the Lord. So how can we live this out?
I believe there are many things we can give to Him, but I want to point out three.
We can give Him our life. Not just our free time or when it's convenient. But give Him all of us. That we would be entirely and solely His. To wake up every morning and pursue Him first. To walk in complete obedience to His Word and His will. We may say that we already live this out, but maybe there are still things within you that don't belong to Him. So perhaps it's time to give Him the gift of your entire life. Stop holding back!
We can give him our loyalty. I see too many believers turning their back on Jesus for the sake of culture or comfort. Many people turn away from the one who gave it all for them to be accepted by a society that couldn't care less for their souls. You can go to church every Sunday but still not be loyal to the Lord. Loyal ones don't leave when it gets tricky. They stick it out through every season.
And lastly, we can give Him our love. Think about the deep love He has for YOU. When we receive the love He gives to us; we can return love to Him. The bible teaches us that we love because He loved us first! What a beautiful thought that even what we can give to Him is only available because of what He has given us. Give Him all of your love, your attention, and devotion. Don't be an emotional Christian only, be one who loves even when it's not easy. Let your love for Jesus be the motivation for your life.
As you think of all, He has given you this season, remember that you can give Him something in return: your life, loyalty, and love.