The Ultimate Gift

I know it’s just barely November, but coming up in the next month is one of the world’s best holidays: Christmas! I love Christmas—my family gets together with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, we eat great food and open presents together on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning my siblings and I will wake up our parents around nine and we’ll open presents until long past noon. Our family is so big it is quite a time-consuming project.

Generally when I think of Christmas, I think of apples and cinnamon candles, my mom and sisters baking cookies, going shopping with my siblings and trying not to lose the four-year-old in the crowds (so far I’ve been successful), bundling in sweatpants, sweatshirts and fluffy socks to hide from the bitter cold Michigan weather, amongst other things.

Sometimes we’ll even watch a Christmas movie as a family, like The Santa Clause starring Tim Allen, Home Alone with the hilariously cute Macaulay Culkin, or Tom Hank’s The Polar Express. I only watch the third one to hear Josh Groban’s song “Believe” at the end credits. ;)

Christmas films are great; they’re usually about spreading good tidings and joy and happiness between friends and family with hot chocolate, cookies and presents all around. Being happy with those you love and care about during such a festive holiday is great and important.

But Christmas isn’t about Santa Claus and the presents or the good food or even spending time with family and friends. We celebrate Christmas to remember the gift of Jesus Christ to the world, who would save mankind from their sins one day.

Or we should be celebrating it that way. I’ll be honest that on Christmas morning my first thought is not thanking the Lord for his Gift to us—His Son and Salvation. I’m right there with my eight brothers and sisters digging under the tree, separating presents into our individual piles. My next thoughts are usually about food—food is not generally last on my list of priorities.

But my focus on Christmas, before and after, should always be on thanking God for His ultimate Gift to me. Jesus left the glory of Heaven to join us on this putrid, sinful world to go through ultimate shame in order to save us from ourselves and our sin.

And what do I typically think about? Material goods that have no real importance in the long run of life’s marathon.

As you prepare for this upcoming Christmas season I encourage you to consider what your priorities are. Are you thinking about all the gifts you’re going to give and get? Or are you first thinking of the Ultimate Gift of God’s Son?

Don’t let the typical “Season’s Greetings” mindset from tradition and media make you forget what is most important. This year, thank God for His Ultimate Gift.