Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights;  with Him there is no variation of shadow cast by turning.  By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the first fruits of His creatures.  James 1:17-18 HCSB

Between last night and today I can’t imagine the number of gifts that were opened.  I don’t know about you but one of the biggest stressors for me is getting the people on my list the perfect gift.  You see, in many cases these are relatives that I don’t see that often.  People that I see every day I know what they want and need, but people I see 4-6 times a year, well I have no clue.  So often times, I just guess and hope that I got something that even if they didn’t need it they are glad to have it.

Yesterday I received a call from a loved one who was trying to help someone that didn’t have enough money to pay rent, much less buy gifts.  I was glad to turn over the meager pittance I had left after buying Christmas gifts.  I thought about all the money spent buying gifts for those that really do not need them.  I mean let’s face it, if you can afford to buy gifts then you buy what you want during the year.  Wouldn’t it be great if we just used the money that we were going to spend on gifts for those of us who really don’t need them and use it to bless those that are facing the prospect of being homeless and/or hungry this Christmas.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that those who believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).  You see we have all already been given the perfect gift.  When we focus on that perfect gift at Christmas and not the latest thing-a-ma-bob that someone on our list wants, we can have less stress and we can help others more.

When we wrap our little heads around the fact that every good thing we have is given from God, it only makes sense to use it to bless others, right?  We must also remember that you can’t out give God.  So while you are running around trying to find the perfect gift for each and every person on your list, remember that the perfect gift for some people is a meal or a warm, dry place to lay their head.  The perfect gift for someone may be the opportunity to have at least one gift under the tree for their child this year.

But also remember that God gave us the perfect gift in His Son.  When we make Christmas all about that gift, we can’t go wrong.  When we focus on the one Gift that was given to save our souls and pay the ransom for us, it makes us want to bless others.  Not by buying the perfect gift that they want, but by blessing those in need.

So today focus on the gift that God gave us over 2,000 years ago and remember this season is all about that gift.

Wishing you a very merry and blessed Christmas!