Because of Great Joy
Jesus is the greatest gift. What a wonderful blessing it is to celebrate Him and His goodness during Christmas!
If you feel like God is doing very little or nothing in your life right now, I would encourage you to look at your mindset. Again and again and again, the Bible talks about how much God loves YOU, because You are His child, and it also says He is taking care of you in amazing, beautiful ways. If you aren’t aware of His care, that doesn’t mean He isn’t taking care of you. It could be that you need to spend some time alone with Him, refreshing your heart in who He is.
One of the pillars of BTO is accepting God’s love so you can love Him back and then, as a result, love others and yourself. My handsome hubby says that the greatest gift we can give to Jesus is—believe it or not—a heart that believes and experiences His love (see 1 John 4:16).
If you’re struggling to feel God’s love, Leon suggests spending time with Him and praying this way: “I don’t understand Your love. I haven’t felt it the way others talk about. Is there something You can do to show me Your love for me? I don’t want to leave this place until I know I’m totally loved by You.”
This Christmas, let’s get to know His love—and celebrate Him with great joy.
What Gift Will You Give the Savior?
I actually love the Christmas song “The Little Drummer Boy.” This child wanted to bring a gift to the Savior of the world, so he brought the only thing he had, his greatest treasure.
That is exactly what God did for each of us. Because of His great love, the Father gave us the best gift He had: Jesus. As a result, we have salvation from darkness, total intimacy with the Father, and new life—not just in Heaven someday but also right now. What a gift God gave us—the ability to choose Him and all His light and be completely restored to His heart.
When I think about everything God gave to me through Jesus, it makes me want to give Him something in return. Leon and I were talking about gifts we can give to God, and the topic of obedience came up. Some people hear that word and immediately dismiss it because it sounds “churchy” to them or like an obligation, but when we talk about obedience, we mean complete and utter joy. We mean love that is so sweet and strong and powerful that it fills everything we do with life.
Whether you are single or married, your gift of obedience to God is a huge, beautiful thing. Real obedience is great joy, not obligation. It comes out of understanding His love for you. His love is the beginning of human obedience. That is one thing we often pray for at BTO—that every person connected with our movement would come to know the love God has for them.
The next time you’re at church or a small group and hear somebody talk about obedience, think about the word in terms of God’s love. This mental switch can be a game changer!
The Gift of Good Words
With it [the tongue] we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. (James 3:9–10 ESV)
Another truly awesome gift we can give the Lord is the gift of our words.
If you are single this Christmas, practice declaring blessings and praises to God out loud. Bless yourself and bless other people. Bless your future spouse. When you are having your quiet time, use your words to speak life. This is a wonderful gift—not just for Him but also for the people you are blessing.
Choose words of encouragement while you are with your family, your friends, or just by yourself. Instead of speaking discouragement or despair, say the things God says in His Word about yourself and others.
If you are dating or married, your words are also a powerful gift. Speak well of your significant other even in those moments when you might be overwhelmed or frustrated. Thank God repeatedly for that person. Speak out loud their excellent qualities—the things you love about them. Declare who they are according to Scripture.
Giving Because of Joy
Technically, God doesn’t need our gifts, but He loves it when we come with humble hearts to offer our “drums” to him. Some gifts are very simple. Other gifts can be hard to give. Everybody is going through certain things, and there are times when giving—whatever the gift happens to be—is just harder.
If God has put a particular gift for Him on your heart this Christmas, remember that gift gets to be given with joy. It doesn’t need to be out of obligation: “I’m doing this so I don’t get in trouble.” Or “I have to do this, whether I want to or not.” Choose to live and move and have your being in His love and joy (see Acts 17:28).
That is my prayer for all of us this Christmas season, that we will listen to Jesus and fall deeper in love with Him and then do what He says because of love.
Merry Christmas from all of us here at BTO! May your heart know the deep, abiding love of Jesus at a new level, and may you realize how much you matter to Him.
Your heavenly Father loves you more than you realize! For more about His amazing, unending love, check out Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.