The Greatest Gift of All
by Holly Gordon
“When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of His grace He made us right in His sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” –Titus 3:4-7
During Christmas time growing up, I always admired that the adults in the family, instead of doing a gift exchange, would donate to a charity of their choice in honor of the person they would have given the gift to. Then during the gift exchange, they would talk about why they chose that particular charity. I love this memory because it placed value on celebrating Jesus and His kingdom.
During this time of year it can be so easy to get caught up with Christmas festivities and the business of the season. That memory from growing up sticks with me because it brings me back to what really matters. Jesus is the greatest gift we could ever receive! Sure, when we give someone a nice sweater, a piece of jewelry, or a techy gadget they’ve been wanting, that’s fun and all; but when we give things that make a real difference in someone’s life, that carries eternal consequences.
In Titus 3:4-7, Paul is reminding Titus (as he trains him to preach the Gospel) of the time when the people were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures; but when Jesus came, He saved us because of His mercy. We too must show this mercy as we give gifts of tangible love, compassion, provision, encouragement, and faith. God blesses and entrusts each of us with influence, talent, power, and spiritual gifts to glorify Him and build His Kingdom. We must share these gifts He's given us so that others will come to know Him and in turn, receive the greatest gift of all.
My hope and prayer for myself and for all of us is that we would find intentional ways this Christmas time to celebrate and honor the birth of our King. Think of it as a Christmas present to Him. During this Christmas season we must celebrate Jesus and let our hearts be filled with gratitude that Jesus chose to come down to Earth to be our Savior. My prayer for us is that whether we are having a busy Christmas season or not, we would slow down and remember Jesus and the true gift of salvation. I am in awe that Jesus would have mercy on us and come to Earth and be the greatest sacrifice, so that we could have a relationship with Him and be with Him for eternity.
Thank You, Jesus that You came to Earth and took on flesh for our sake. Thank You for Your never-ending mercy upon us, that we get to be called sons and daughters of the one true living God. We honor You this Christmas season and celebrate You. You are so worthy, Jesus. May we never take for granted the beautiful gift of salvation! Amen!