Sharing Gifts
Friday December 26, 2014
In the Christmas story we find the part about the wise men who saw a star in the distance and went on a journey because they were convinced that a king had been born. They wanted to get to know this new king and they wanted to honour him. One of the ways they chose to show their respect and worship was to bring gifts. They brought expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They made significant effort to go on a long journey to both find the king and bring gifts to him.
One of the greatest things about this Jesus whose birth we celebrate these days is that we can come close to Him and worship Him, as the wise men did. We can also get to know him and receive the gift of new life from Him. Jesus promises to live in us and to fill our lives with the power of the Holy Spirit. As the Holy Spirit lives in us He gives us gifts for the good of others who are in our community.
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. (1 Corinthians 12:4-5 NIV) Jesus taught us that when we blessed and served others, we were actually blessing and serving Him. “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40 NIV)
God fills our lives with abilities and talents, plans and understandings that allow us to make a positive and joyful difference in the world around us. Christmas is a great time to remember that life is about sharing – both giving and receiving. Let’s be wise people, sharing the gift of our lives in service to God and others.
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