When I was a kid, Christmas was all about the gifts. Oh sure, I loved the sights, sounds, and sweet aromas that separated Christmas from all the other holidays, but it was still all about the gifts. At first it was all about the gifts I would receive. That eventually changed as I learned about giving gifts.
For me, giving gifts was challenging. I soon came to realize that you couldn’t just grab any old thing and give it to someone you cared about. You had to think about things like appropriateness, expense, and what you knew about the recipient’s likes and dislikes. Now I had to worry about getting just the right gift for someone and how they would react to your gift. I had heard that it was more blessed to give than to receive. Well, I found out it was also more complicated to give than to receive!
Why has trying to find the perfect gift for each person on my list been such a daunting challenge? I think it’s because I care for these people. I love them, and that changes everything. It really matters to me that they understand that it’s really my love that I am giving.
The Bible says that God loves the people of this world. He loves us so much that he gave to us the one thing he loved even more than us – his son, Jesus.
Christmas isn’t so much about the lights and trees and decorations. It isn’t really about the food and treats. Christmas isn’t about how many gifts we receive or give. It’s really all about love.
You see, love changes everything. When you love someone you want to give them the very best gift you possibly can give. You want it to be something they need, something they can’t do without, something they will come to treasure because it embodies your love for them.
This is what God did when he gave us his son on that first Christmas morning long ago. He loves us so much that he gave us the very best gift he could give. He gave us something we need. He gave us good news! He gave us hope! He gave us forgiveness. He gave us peace in our hearts. He gave us love. And, he gave us eternal life, if we would believe in his son.
So yes, Christmas has all of the sights and sounds and sweet aromas. And of course we still love the music and festivities and gifts. But it really is about the love for each other, but most of all, it’s about God’s love for us.
E.B. White, of Brooklin, was the famed author of “Charlotte’s Web” and “Stuart Little.” He also wrote “The Second Tree From The Corner.” In it, he wrote “To perceive Christmas through its wrappings becomes more difficult with every year.”
This year, let’s look beyond the wrappings of Christmas and find the love.
“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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but that world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17, Romans 6:23
(Tom Wagers is the pastor of Lincoln County Assembly of God, at 672 Main St. in Damariscotta. For more information, call 563-6550, go to lcag.me, or find the Lincoln County Assembly of God Facebook page.)
