The Priceless Present

Did you know that this is peak Christmas present buying week. Millions and millions of pounds will be spent in the next seven days on Christmas gifts.

Some people are brilliant at choosing just the right gift for you. Exactly what you want! They really know you and find you the perfect thing. Some others though, however kind they are, never seem to get it quite right and as you tear the wrapping paper off, there’s always a slight heart-sink!

However spot-on or not Christmas presents are though, they’re mostly from people who love us. They’re saying, ‘You’re special to me; life would be very different without you. I love you’.

God was saying, ‘I love you’ when he gave us an incredible Christmas gift 2000 years ago. It was his Son, Jesus, who in the end was willing to die in our place in order to take away the blocks that prevent us from really knowing God as our loving Father.

Once we ask for God’s forgiveness, he becomes real to us, and we gradually develop a settled heart, a sense of being helped in all areas of life and a huge peace about the long-term future. It’s extraordinary the difference it makes to life.

The tragedy is when God’s personal gift to each of us just gets ignored.

Imagine if this year all your Christmas presents were left under the tree unopened, collecting dust. Then piled up in a corner of the room and forgotten. It’d be tragic. But that’s a picture of what happens year after year as people don’t accept what the Bible calls, ‘God’s indescribable gift.’

If you haven’t yet discovered the difference living life closely with God makes, could this be the year you decide to see what’s inside the wrapping paper of the gift he’s offering?

Just Google, ‘How do you become a Christian?’ Or Google ‘Bible Gateway’ and read Mark’s description of Jesus’ life. You might find it comes to you in a completely fresh way.

At university years ago, I asked God to come into my life. It made a massive difference to me and gradually over the years, God’s closeness has transformed many areas of my life and brought great satisfaction and contentment despite the normal battles all of us face as human beings.

So there you go... the message of Christianity is that God’s incredible gift is there for the opening. Don’t leave it under the tree this year.

Ruth Guy