Giving the Greatest Gift

This morning I have been reflecting on the materialism that has seemed to overwhelm the real significance of Christmas this year (at least from my limited view).  By materialism, I mean the increasing focus on buying and having more and more stuff, the constant barrage of commercials and advertising that tell us that we need new stuff.  We are told that the best way to show someone love is to give them really nice gifts. This message is strong throughout the year, but becomes an almost deafening roar during the Christmas season, starting with Black Friday sales, which now are starting on Thanksgiving afternoon, going all the way through the huge day after Christmas sales.  It seems the whole focus for this time is buying stuff, and we have lost any sense of the real reason for Christmas and the richness of family, fellowship and community. Maybe its just my limited perspective, but this year seemed especially materially focused.

I, for one, love to give gifts, and it is something I have enjoyed since my childhood.  In fact, we are celebrating the greatest gift ever given in celebrating Jesus' birth.  I work to make sure that the gifts I give are meaningful and are a reflection of my love.  I love to give gifts to those that I love, which includes my family and close friends, those whose relationship I treasure.  In the same way, Jesus coming to earth, being born a man, is the greatest example of God's love for us; His desire to connect with us, and desire to have relationship with us.  It seems to me that the focus of this season should be loving those with whom we have loving relationships.

This morning the verses that popped into my head, as I was reflecting upon this theme, come from John's first letter, and he speaks about our call to love in action, not just words.  Here are the verses -

1 John 3:11,16-18 NIV:

[11] "For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another."

[16] "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. [17] If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? [18] Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

I like the NASB version a little better, here is how it reads:

1 John 3:16-18 NASB:
[16] "We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. [17] But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? [18] Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth."

I guess as I have been reflecting on this Christmas, I have realized that there is more than just giving gifts, there is the call to lay down one's live.  We are invited to reflect Jesus ultimate love for us, in laying down His life, in our love for one another.  This doesn't mean giving gifts to the point that we spend the next 3 months of our life paying them off, but rather is focused on the sacrificial nature of servanthood within real relationships.  It means realigning one's priorities and putting other's needs before our own.  Paul writes the following in his letter to the Philippians 2:1-4 NIV:

[1] "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [2] then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

We are called to look to the interests and needs of others.  We are called to unity, being of one spirit and one mind.  We are called to share with and embrace others as we reflect Christ's love for us.  We are invited to meet the needs of one another, to be focused on others. The giving of gifts embraces this somewhat, but I believe that time and attention are even more important. We are supposed to grow in love and unity in mind and spirit, and that is difficult to do if we are not spending time with one another.  

Finally, the one other set of verses that pop into my mind are the following - James 1:22,27 NIV:

[22] "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

[27] "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

I can easily rationalize my life, saying that I have done well in giving money to certain charities and ministries that focus on the poor, the widow, the orphan and figure I have met the requirements.  The sense I get is that the Lord is inviting me to a deeper involvement, not just sitting back in comfortable home and thinking that I have laid down my life through giving financially, rather He is encouraging me to actually get involved and lay down my life (my time, attention, focus).  I like to think that I am big-hearted and generous, but the truth is that more often than not the generosity and big-heartedness rarely gets past my intentions and becomes action.  Sometimes it involves writing a check, but rarely does it actually involve me getting seriously involved.

God could have stayed in Heaven, I suppose, and dealt with us from that vantage point.  However, He chose to come down and get seriously involved in our lives, in our struggles and in our needs!  He became like us so that we could become like Him. He laid it all down, that we might live!  He gave us the greatest gift ever, Himself, to reveal in deed His love for us.  He could have settled for mere words, but chose instead to make His message real through action.  I am reminded once again of John's words, "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

Jesus said it best, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. [35] By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 NIV:

Lord, help me to fully embrace this command, this invitation to reflect Your love, through love and action!  Help me to lay down my life in real ways, to not settle for gift giving, but to give that which really is significant, my life.  Thank You Jesus, for You gave Your life that I might know You and be like You.

Amen and Amen!