Gift of service: Warm a cold heart with a blanket. Price: $35.00.

Gift of encouragement: Take flowers to a friend battling cancer. Price: $50.00.

Gift of leadership: Throw a Christmas party for your small group. Price: $100.

Gift of Christ to your next-door neighbor: Priceless.

Christmas is all about gift giving — making lists of gifts, purchasing gifts, wrapping gifts, giving gifts and opening gifts (and probably returning some, too). All of this is because of one priceless gift given to the human race two thousand years ago — the gift of God’s Son. And this gift came about as the result of God’s unfathomable mercy and grace. He did not have to do this. Nothing in us required it. He decided to be merciful to his own creation made in His image — all of us having turned our backs on Him and gone our own way.

Somehow we got fortunate. It’s definitely not because we’re cute. There is no merit here — nothing we deserve. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve; mercy is not getting what you do deserve. We have been given both. We don’t deserve anything from God except punishment for our sins, and what did He do? His mercy up and cancelled the punishment so His grace could give us life.

Two priceless gifts; one awesome God.

What can we do except be filled with gratitude and mimic His gift-giving to the extent of our creativity and our resources?

And while we’re at it, let’s think of a spiritual gift we can give, based on what has been given to us. Regardless of our material resources, we are all rich in spiritual gifts. Give this some thought. Think of your spiritual gift (encouragement, wisdom, administration, mercy, service, teaching, etc.) and how you might turn it into a real present for someone this Christmas season. Make it something you can plan and accomplish as a deliberate act (see above). Put a bow around it if it’s appropriate.

Christmas is spiritual, full of gifts and gift giving. Let’s not forget to give the gift of Christ this Christmas. It’s the one gift among all the others that is truly priceless.

John Fischer is an author, speaker and song writer. For more of his writing,
visit www.purposedrivenlife.com