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Re-gifting
Christmas
By Susanne Scheppmann
Key
Verse:
“Then the angel said to them, "Do not be
afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all
people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11NKJV)
Devotion:
This year my extended
family decided not to buy presents for each other. Although we will still have
our large family gathering, we agreed to exchange a “white elephant gift”. A
white elephant gift is something that you having laying around your house that
you no longer want or need. Many times a white elephant gift turns out to be a
re-gift. It is, perhaps, a gift you received that is then rewrapped, re-bowed,
and passed on as a “gift”. The idea of re-gifting appeals to me, especially
when it is sanctioned by the family.
This
year I have been pondering how to re-gift the joy that Jesus has given to us—“a
great joy which will be to all people.” How can we re-gift Christmas? How can
we give someone the joy of Jesus that we already posses? I believe the best way
is to display our joy in all of our circumstances—the good and bad. We many not
enjoy the situations we find ourselves in, but we can have joy. Our joy can
issue forth from the facts that Jesus came to earth as a infant, ministered,
died on the cross and then resurrected from the grave. He did this as a gift
for all of us.
Let’s
decide to re-gift Christmas when days become stressful because of holiday
schedules. Let’s give joy when we can’t purchase the “perfect gift” because of
our budget restraints. Let’s share Jesus’ joy and offer to help our neighbors,
our churches, and our communities.
The
wonderful thing about re-gifting the joy of the season is that you still get to
keep your joy! Let the world know the truth about Christmas. It’s not the
Christmas tree, the food, the festivities or the gifts—it’s about Jesus being
born as the world’s Savior. It’s about what the angels declared over 2000 years
ago, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11NKJV)
It’s
a gift we should give year round to everyone in this stress-filled world,
because, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV)
Will you re-gift
Christmas with me now and this coming year?
Prayer:
Dear
Lord, thank you for the gift of joy this Christmas season. Teach me to re-gift
this joy to the people who You bring across my path. Also, remind me to re-gift
Your joy every day, not only at the Christmas season. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application
steps:
Leave
the Christmas nativity set in a prominent place in your home all year.
Doubtless, people will mention it—then share the meaning of Christmas—Jesus the
Savior of the World.
Reflections:
Do I display the joy of Jesus?
Why do I hesitate to share my faith in Jesus?
How can I re-gift Christmas each day?
Power
verses:
Philemon 1:6, “I pray that you may be
active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of
every good thing we have in Christ.” (NIV)
Isaiah 49:13, “Shout for joy, O heavens;
rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his
people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.” (NIV)
1 Thessalonians 2:8, “We loved you so much
that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our
lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” (NIV)
© 2009 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
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