The Ultimate Christmas Present
So what are you going to buy him for Christmas? That one person in your life who is impossible to buy for? It’s always a “him” isn’t it? Women are easy to buy for, but men … impossible! Another pair of socks, or a bottle of wine, or a BBQ spatula … what useless thing are you going to waste your money on this year, hmm?!
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That Very First Christmas Present
As we head into another hectic silly season, I just wanted to take a few minutes with you to think about the whole ritual of giving presents, something that these days, we seem to rush around the shopping malls in ever decreasing circles to do. Credit cards maxed out, nerves frayed … the pressure is on to buy everyone their present.
Tick … tick … tick … that’s it, I’m done!!! Phew.
But things were a whole bunch different on that first Christmas. Because the first Christmas Present was an eternity in the making. God had been thinking about that first Christmas Present literally forever. He’d been thinking about you, about me and how He was going to bless us … forever.
Problem was, you and I had rebelled against Him. Well, not way back then, but He knew that we were going to. So what would you give a rebellious, disobedient, ill-mannered child like you and me, for Christmas.
God decided to give us the single, most precious Thing that He had. God decided to give us His All:
Jesus, His Son.
Can you imagine what was going on in the great and mighty Father Heart of God that night, as His Son slipped quietly into this world? The indescribable joy at knowing that His great love-plan for you and me, a love-plan with eternal ramifications, was beginning to unfold. Yet it was a moment for Him that was also tinged by a deep sadness, in the knowledge of what Jesus His Son would have to suffer on that brutal Cross.
Yes, on that first Christmas, God gave us all that He had. Jesus.
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Your Christmas Present to God
So … how are you going to respond this Christmas? I mean, what’s your plan to bless God? What are you going to give Him? Do you have something wrapped up for Him under the tree?
Maybe you’ve never thought of doing that, responding to God’s first Present, His All, with a present of your own, to Him.
So if you were to do that, what would you give God for Christmas?
Another pair of socks, a BBQ spatula, a bottle of wine? What’s an appropriate Christmas present from you to God, pray tell?
Seems to me, that since He gave us His All on that first Christmas, the only response, is for us, to give Him our all. To hold nothing back. To dedicate, perhaps to rededicate, our very lives to Him. We start off wanting to give Him our all, but as the months and years slip by, we find things to hold back from Him.
Our resources, our finances, that one part of our lives where we keep sinning, because we don’t let God into that place.
What have you been holding back from the Lord your God? Would this Christmas be a good time to give it all over to Him?
Father God, I am blown away by what You gave me on that very first Christmas. Your very own Son, your All, to live for me, to die for me, to rise again … for me. And as I look at my own heart, and my own life, I am so painfully aware that I’ve done anything but love you, with all my heart and my soul and my strength and my mind. I am so painfully aware that I have held things back from You, knowing full well that You held nothing back from me. So this Christmas, I want to give You the single, most important thing that I have to give. Me.
So, here goes … All that I am, all that I have, every hope and every dream, I give to you. Please take me just as I am, all of me, whatever it may cost me, so that from this Christmas onward, I would live my whole life, every minute of every day, for You.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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Your Christmas Present to The Important People In Your Life
And what about the people who matter most to you? Your wife or your husband? Your parents or your children? Your friends or your work colleagues? What about them? What will you give them this Christmas?
Something useless, or something that will light up their lives?
I know husbands on this planet, who would give their right arms to have their wife come up to them, put her arms around his shoulders, look in his eyes and from the bottom of her heart say “I love you so much, I am so blessed to have you as my husband.” And doubtless, there are many wives who would give their right arms to have their husbands do just that too.
I know so many children who would just die to have their parents reach into their world – as odd and as different as it may seem to mum and dad – with a gift that says “We are so proud of you, we love you so much”.
It turns out that for them, the ultimate Christmas gift, is you! All of you. You in a way that connects deeply with them.
When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus said this:
Just as we hold things back from God, so, in our selfishness, do we hold things back from our loved ones. And in that holding back, we cause them the same sense of grief and loss that we cause God.
So this Christmas, give them something they really, really, really, want.
You!
Thank you so much Berni for this post and so many others this year. I have come from such a place of brokenness, but as I’ve turned to Christ this year I have begun to be blessed in so many ways and your words, your gentleness and your enthusiasm for Christ has been such a huge part of healing and giving my life to Jesus. Thank you so much and may you and your family continue to be beautifully blessed. Andrew
Wow! A beautiful message Berni, I love your poem Gareth, we don’t do the present giving thing. Like you say, you and your time are are a gift. To all my sisters & brothers may your Christmas be peaceful and blessed x
thank you Bernie for the wonderful encouraging words of Yahweh in all your books i find just what i need to hear, whether it is for learning or seeing something in me i need to change with the help of the Holy spirit. i do not do the
Christmas festive things trees etc. i just choosThe Jewish people go by the moon and it is already 2015.the world needs love and that is what i bring all year round.
Bless you an your family and the wonderful ministry you share Yahshua with so many people. Johanna sister in christ
Thank you Berni for always speaking so directly to me!
My husband Bill and I want to wish you and your family a truly wonderful and blessed Christmas!
Bill and Joy
I have been feeling quite lonely leading up to this Christmas. To anyone looking in. I have it all. All my family around me yet I still feel lonely. We are divided on issues of Christianity and I feel a yearning in me for us all to celebrate the Christ on Christmas. So thank you Berni for your words of encouragement to give all of me to God and to those whom I love. It is so easy to hold back, to protect my heart. Have a safe and blessed Christmas.
Thanks Bernie and Happy Christmas to you and all your family and team from Coral Reid.
Why can’t we just focus on the Cross…the ultimate manifestation of the love of God…why can’t we just give up traditions of man and debt and stress inducing frenzies? Why can’t we just become more like Him and less and less like the world from which we were saved? You know, life becomes so much easier and peaceful and joyful when we do…:-)
Christmas is a time of joy, for every girl for every boy
For every mum for every dad
For everyone, good or bad
For our relatives for our friends
A time for making new amends
A time to share to give and take
The food the wine the Christmas cake
Always remember and never fear Jesus Christ is always near
The One that Christmas is all about
A time to cheer a time to shout
The one so mighty he had to fall
The one who died to save us all
Thank you Father for your love and forgiveness
Thank you for the birth of my Lord for he redeems me and unburdens me of my sins
Merry Christmas to everyone…………Alleluia!
Thank you Berni for your support and kindness
That was awesome Gareth!
Have have a wonderful Christmas may you and your family circle be richly blessed this Christmas wherever you are!
What a wonderful message Berni.
It really hit the mark May you and your family be truly blessed this Christmas.
Gosh. I don’t know if I can put into words the perspective your words gave me.
I love anticipating giving something to someone and I get giddy inside. However God gave us the greatest gift and gave it knowing it would be abused.. And the pain he would bear. I’ve never given a gift like that.
He deserves all of me, every last bit.
Praying blessings over you and yours as I post this . Janx
I am ALWAYS blessed by the emails I receive from you. May God continue 2 use you & may He bless u in abundance 🙂
Thanks Renata. Have a truly blessed Christmas. -Berni