Jesus’ Christmas List


“They bowed down and worshiped Him. They opened their gifts and gave Him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11NCV)

Often, Jesus gets shut out during Christmas. Imagine I planned a party for you and invited many people. Everyone brings lots of gifts, and the invitees trade presents with one another — and you get nothing.

That’s Christmas. We give gifts to everyone but Jesus. But let’s be honest — what do you give the God who has everything?

Actually, Jesus doesn’t have everything. There are four things He doesn’t have unless you give them to Him this Christmas:

Give Him your trust. Faith is a voluntary matter. Jesus doesn’t have your trust unless you give it to Him. He will never force it.

Make Jesus first place in your life. If anything or anyone other than Jesus holds first place in your life, it’s an idol. This Christmas, choose to make Jesus first in your finances, interests, relationships, schedule — and even in your troubles.

Give Jesus your heart. Your heart is what you love, what you value, and what you care about most. Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34 NIV). One important way you give Jesus your heart this Christmas is by giving your resources to His work. Jesus doesn’t need your money, but He wants what it represents — your heart.

Bring other people to Jesus. God wants a family more than anything else this Christmas. He wants children who choose to love and trust Him. It is the reason we celebrate Christmas. Invite someone to Jesus this Christmas. Tell someone about what Jesus has done in your life.

The Bible tells us that the Wise Men didn’t give Jesus their leftovers when they visited Him on the first Christmas but instead gave three very significant and valuable gifts: “They bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their gifts and gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11NCV).

As you give Jesus your trust, make Him first in your life, give what you value to His work, and bring other people to Him, you’re giving Him gifts far more valuable than the ones the Wise Men brought.

So tell Jesus “happy birthday” this Christmas. Give Him your best.

Talk It Over

- Why do you think giving a gift to Jesus is thought of so rarely during the Christmas season?
- What do you think it means to put Jesus first in your troubles?
- Which of the gifts mentioned in the devotional today do you want to commit to giving to Jesus this Christmas?

~ Written by: Rick Warren ~

~ Modified by: Oleg Fab ~

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Obedience Without Anxiety

Image
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT) If you feel overwhelmed or confused about a decision that you’re trying to make, you’re probably caught up in yourself and not God’s voice. The Bible says, “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33a NIV). He is not the author of confusion. So if you’re feeling confused, guess what? It’s not God’s voice speaking in your life. If you’re a parent, do you want your kids to feel pressure or confused when you ask them to do something? No. You want them to understand what to do and then respond in obedience. God the Father wants the same thing for and from us. The only time pressure could be legitimate is if God’s told you to do something, and you keep saying “n
Read more

Why Nagging Never Works

Image
Have you noticed how many difficult people there are in the world? Do you feel like you have to deal with most of them some days? You know what rude acts bug me the most? People who call me and then say, “Who is this?” People who honk their horns in traffic jams. People who cheat in the 10-items-or-less grocery line. People who steal your parking spot. The list goes on, and I’m sure you can relate. So, how should we respond in love to difficult people? Proverbs 16:21 says, “A wise, mature person is known for his understanding. The more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is” (TEV). The more pleasant you are, the more persuasive you are. And, you’re never persuasive when you’re abrasive. Nagging doesn’t work. The way you say something determines the way it’s received. If you say something offensively, it’s going to be received defensively. That’s why love is all about your words. Love is truthful, but it is also tactful. Tact and tone always go together. It matters
Read more

Go on Mission Together

Image
“Pray for us that God will give us an opportunity to tell people His message.”   (Colossians 4:3 NCV) You were made for a mission. God wants you to share His love with other people — your friends, family, and the people you work with — who are not in His family. Why does He want you to do that? Because God wants everybody in His family. God has never made a person He didn’t love and have a purpose for. God has never made a person that Jesus Christ didn’t die for. So God wants us to share that Good News. But you’re not alone! God wants you to go on mission with other people. Philippians 1:27 says,  “You are standing side by side with one strong purpose — to tell the Good News”   (TLB). How do you share with your friends that God loves them? And how do you do it in partnership with other people? You do it through your small group. First, you pray together. You ask your small group to pray for your friends who don’t have a relationship with God. You can’t for
Read more