All of us receive gifts – at birthdays, Christmas or even lucky draws.
• We have the experience of receiving a gift and knowing the joy of receiving a gift.
• I believe we remember some, but not all the gifts we’ve received.
• Can you remember all the gifts you’ve received last Christmas? Maybe not.
For some, we may have already forgotten who the giver was.
• Yet there are gifts that we remember. And we remember the givers.
• They are special – not just the gifts, but the giver.
• They have a special place in your heart – a gift from your parents, your loved ones.
When we receive a gift, it tells us many things.
• It means that someone thought of you; someone wants to bless you, encourage you.
• You’re important to them, and they value a relationship with you.
In the same way, at Christmas when God gave us His Son, it tells us that He thought of you, He wants to bless you, you are important to Him and He treasure a relationship with you.
• We are able to see the heart of the Giver. The Bible says, “For God so loved that world that He gave…”
• This is one truth that cannot be changed – you are loved. God loves you. We are important to Him. He treasures us.
• Moses wrote a song and puts it this way - Deut 32:10 “He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye…”
No matter how you feel about yourself today; no matter how others think about you, the fact remains – you deeply loved and highly favoured.
• So much so that God is willing to come and meet you.
• And took on Himself a human form to communicate with you.
(1) Appreciate the Heart of the Giver
A True Story: Mellissa. Texas 1991
Two students were hostel roommates for the first year at college.
When they returned from their winter break, Andrew was asked what presents he had received for Christmas. He began to tell his friend about the new clothes, the nice books, and all the other items on the list of precious gifts given me by family and friends. The friend seemed somewhat impressed, pleased at my apparent holiday windfall.
"So, what did you get for Christmas?" Andrew asked. Expecting to hear his wonderful list of presents, my roommate instead replied silently, holding up but one small item, an alarm clock that probably cost less than $5 at the thrift shop.
"That’s nice," Andrew answered, thinking that he was sure glad he hadn’t received such a present, seemingly so small and insignificant.
Later, Andrew would tease his friend by pretending to throw that clock into the air and then catch it right before it hit the ground, feigning an attempt to damage his precious clock. His friend never thought this game was funny, however, because his clock meant much more to him than Andrew ever understood.
As the years passed and our four years together at college came to a close, Andrew noticed that while he moved from room to room and roommate to roommate, his friend always had that same inexpensive alarm clock stored closely beside his bed.
You see, Andrew friend’s family back in West Virginia was far from wealthy and the only present his parents could afford to give him for Christmas was that simple, unimpressive clock. What seemed like cheap sale material for some was a family treasure for Andrew’s friend.
You know what? 13 years later, Andrew cannot remember a single present – the clothes, the books - he received for Christmas that year. You know what else? Andrew never forgets his friend’s gift. He may have gotten many presents, but his friend got only one single present from his parents – that which was definitely more precious.
The clock represented the love of his parents for him.
I believe we can identify with this person. We really treasure some gifts we received.
A BOX OF KISSES
Some time ago, a father punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight, and he became angry when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.
Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy."
He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found that the box was empty. He yelled at her, "Don’t you know that when you give someone a present, there’s supposed to be something inside it?"
The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty. I blew kisses into the box. They are all for you."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl and said, “Sorry.”
And you know what? The father kept that gold box by his bed for years. Whenever he was discouraged, he would take out the box and remember the love of his child.
Christmas is an indication of God’s desire to bless us.
• God loves and cares for you. He gave you Jesus.
• The greatest gift we can ever receive is God’s love.
• Jesus is all you need – to have a rich, fulfilling life. Remember that.
People think that the more the merrier; the more expensive the better.
• But in reality, they cannot give us true joy and fulfilment.
• What we really need today, God has given – a Saviour.
• One who can save us from the bondage of sin and give us a new life.
(2) Understand that the Love of God Is All We Need
I remember Rev Lo sharing about the song: “Thy lovingkindness is better than life…”
• Why? What so great about love if I’m dead.
• If we do not have the love of God, if we do not know Him… there is no life.
• You may be breathing very well, but you’re dead in your sin. You’re a walking dead man.
• Things cannot give us meaning in life, only Jesus can.
Billy Graham shared this in his book, ‘The Secret of Happiness’: (pp. 74-75)
A man and his wife visited an orphanage where they hoped to adopt a child. In an interview with the boy they wanted, they told him in glowing terms about the many things they could give him.
To their amazement, the little fellow said, "if you have nothing to offer except a big house, nice clothes, toys, and the other things (that most kids have) - why - I would prefer to stay here.”
"What on earth could you want besides those things?" the woman asked?
"I just want someone to love me," replied the little boy.
What are you really searching for today? What is most important to you?
• Man values the fanciful and impressive things in life.
• But we want to value the unseen – love, joy, peace and hope – that only God can give.
• You need to accept Jesus as our Saviour, and make Him Lord of our lives.
Don’t drift from Him.
• How do you know you’ve drifted from Him? When you are frustrated with life.
• Why? Because the things and affairs of this world cannot satisfy us.
• Solomon says in Ecclesiastes, “Meaningless, meaningless. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (Eccl 1:2)
(3) Cultivate a Grateful Heart
I was touched by Andrew friend’s appreciation for his parents.
• The alarm clock may be cheap and mean little for many of us, but not to him.
• He treasured the clock, because it was a gift from his parents. It was symbolic of their love and concern for him.
• We treasure gifts for their sentimental value today, because we see in those gifts the love of the giver.
Sometimes we take things for granted.
“Well, I expect to have a present because it’s Christmas time.”
• We need to give more thought to what goes into the gift.
• In the latest issue of the Eagles’ newsletter VantagePoint Peter Chao urges us to cultivate “the grace of receiving”. He said, “To receive the gift graciously is to be profoundly thankful to God and to the giver for the blessings symbolized by the gift.”
• Appreciate the effort and cost the giver has put in to get you the gift.
God did the same for us. He carefully planned for this special gift.
• It was done at the right time, in the right manner, so that we would understand.
• The Holy Spirit woos us and helps us understand His love and plan for us.
• Everything was done so that we would come – and believe and be saved.
We honour the giver when we receive the gift with gratitude and appreciation.
• To reject the gift, even politely, is construed as rejecting the giver.
• No one would want to see their gift being laid aside or chuck into the corner of a storeroom. We are happy when the watch or dress we gave someone is worn on an important occasion.
• Somehow, we feel a warm sense of acceptance when our gift is being used.
We honour God when we live in grateful appreciation of His gifts.
We honour God when we put to use the gifts He has given us.
We honour God when we share with others the blessings He has bestowed upon us.
