Do you ever really spend time thinking about what a gift is? A gift is not that thing that you bring to the gift exchange. It really isn't putting something under the family Christmas tree, or in a stocking. A true gift is giving someone something that they cannot return. It's going the extra mile and put others before yourself. Jesus exemplified this when He left Heaven to come to earth just to be treated as a nobody. He again exemplified this as He died on a cross for our sins. Joseph exemplified putting others first when he was going to quietly break things off with Mary upon the news she was pregant. Then again, by immediately marrying her and taking care of her and the baby.
"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Phil 2:4).
Throughout the Bible there are countless acts that show putting the needs and interests of others first. A true gift is giving a homeless person a blanket or a meal. A true gift is sometimes just spending time with someone who will never return the favor. A true gift if giving with the heart, meeting all or some of the needs of another person while being completely unconcerned about your own needs. It's setting aside your busy schedule or your desires to help out someone in need and doing it as if it is the most important thing you can do in that very instance.
So help someone out, spend time with someone, do something to show Jesus' love this Christmas season, and do it without any thought of repayment. The blessing is in giving and not receiving.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
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