Can I be real with you? Christmas season is stressful. Don’t get me wrong, I love this season. But it is exhausting. Most of my life runs in fifth gear, but during this season, I find myself punching the gas pedal begging my body for more juice.
Maybe you understand the feeling.
The unrealistic weight of expectations, combined with the constant demands for time and a materialistic anticipation for a moment that seems to disappoint, leaves me longing for “the most wonderful time of the year” to end.
But what if Christmas didn’t have to be this way? What if the Christmas season was a time to take our relationship with God deeper? What if this time of year was a season of renewal and not stress? What if (and this might be way out in left field) anticipation for the Christmas season reached unparalleled heights … and there was never a let down when the season ended?
It is absolutely possible. How? Here’s the answer … open more gifts.
That’s right, more gifts. You see, behind the Christmas trees, decorations and parties is a baby. But not just any baby … a Savior. And when baby Jesus stooped down to this earth and took his place in a manger, he also opened a divine warehouse of gifts.
These gifts could forever change how we approach this season.
So, here are 25 game-changing gifts from God that will transform Christmas forever.
1.) God always, always keeps his promises.
This truth screams through the birth of Jesus. When God makes a promise, it will happen. And this truth is easy to forget because broken promises weave through the fabric of our lives. Our word to someone means less than the trash we throw in the dumpster.
But the baby in a manger is a reminder God is different. Every promise he makes is true. Rest in the promises of God.
2.) God can be trusted.
The list of people I trust with my feelings, emotions and heart is really small. I can count them on two hands. Why? Life teaches us not to trust people. We can’t trust the motives of everyone. We can’t give our heart to everyone.
But God has never lied. All of his motives are pure. We can trust our entire self to God. God will not disappoint us. He will not betray us.
3.) Hope is real and alive.
Hope is the catalyst for faith. Without hope, reaching the finish line is impossible. Followers of Jesus must set their eyes on the living hope we have through Jesus Christ. Our hope is real.
4.) God is a responder, not a reactor.
The story of Jesus doesn’t begin in Matthew 1 … it begins in Genesis 3. When sin entered the world, God knew Jesus was the only answer. And this is where I start scratching my head. If God knew the answer to sin was Jesus, why in the world did he wait hundreds of years to send him?
We can draw our own conclusions, but this truth can’t be ignored … God doesn’t react to situations. He responds. He doesn’t freak out. He doesn’t lose his cool. Reactors allow emotions to drive actions. Responders are driven by logic. Praise God he is a responder, not a reactor. Otherwise, we would all be in serious trouble.
5.) The promises of God come through patience.
God always keeps his promises. But obtaining the promises of God requires patience (Hebrews 6:12). God’s promises rarely come overnight. They are inherited through seasons of waiting and perseverance.
In a 4G, super-fast DSL world, God shows us good things aren’t microwaved. They take time.
