This season of gift giving and receiving has got me thinking about the significance of serving others. Gift giving is one of my favorite things, especially when you know that the gift you picked out has significance and is just perfect for the person receiving it. Suppose you have an empty box in front of you, a tangible item could not go in it – what would you gift? Surely you couldn’t give a box with nothing in it. We could put some shiny things in, but what happens? When we turn our backs on God and follow the world, what do we get? There is still that feeling of an empty box. Worldly things don’t have the same sustenance as the things that God promises and provides.
Imagine that empty box in front of you.
The quandary of an empty box is that it will remain empty until someone fills it. We can see it as the end of a journey or the beginning of a great adventure. It is up to us to determine what goes inside and what we do with it.
It is my prayer that we see the manger as the only real promise we have. The manger offers us the true gifts of God Almighty. I pray you see this in the light of Christ and choose Jesus above everything else in your life.
In this season of giving, what would you fill your empty box with? God has given us so many gifts that we can share with others, and it doesn’t cost anything.
Fill your box with Joy. Be a person that is full of cheer and brings humor or good spirits. They say joy is contagious…
Give the Gift of Kindness. When someone expresses a genuine care for another, no matter how simple or elaborate, it is a gift of kindness. There is no limit to the number of ways you can be kind.
Give the Gift of Patience. Patience is a gift that works incredible magic on us. We become transformed by patience. The gift of not getting what you want when you want it is sometimes how God intervenes in your life. We must seek the Lord for what we need in life (Psalm 121:2). And offer patience to others as well. Maybe that relative is super annoying, but maybe you have been too! Be patient with others.
Give the Gift of Love. This one is pretty self explanatory. It’s something that is given voluntarily and always without compensation. What a powerful thing to give! There is nothing in the definition that says you must buy a retail item. I believe the true spirit of the holiday season is to be with the ones you love and be thankful for their presence in your life.
1 Peter 4:10, NIV: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
Fill the empty box with love and give it away. The magical box always refills itself and is never ending.
