Love
A Christmas Devotional: The Gift of Love
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16 (NIV)
Christmas is a season that reminds us of God’s extravagant love. The birth of Jesus wasn’t just an event in history; it was the ultimate demonstration of God’s love for humanity. In a humble manger, in the quiet town of Bethlehem, love took on flesh and entered a broken world.
That’s why I love Christmas so much. And I love to be extravagant with it and show my family and community as much love as I humanly can – My love language, after all is gift giving. I love to have as much fun as possible. Decorate as much as possible. Celebrate God‘s gift of love. (And with the leg injury I wrote about last week, it has been a little difficult lately!)
This Christmas, God gave me an opportunity to help a family in need. This wasn’t through an organization, just someone I saw put out a desperate call on our neighborhood Facebook: help giving her children any Christmas at all. Something I could do with my injury!
I talked to the mom of this family quite a lot and learned of her struggles this year. . She is having debilitating pregnancy complications, unable to work, and it just wasn’t possible for their family to afford gifts this year. I felt the pull from God to do what I could; Literally loving my neighbor!
Our family has so much, and I thought this was a good opportunity to show my kids how to give love too. Since my kids are older than the kids of the family in need, together we went through their toys and picked out some that were in good condition. We added some books and new little toys, and made a nice little gift bag for each child.
We dropped off the gifts on Christmas Eve Eve, snug on the porch, just like little Elves! My heart was so full. Seeing my children learn to give love absolutely made my holiday season. I was so thrilled to see them give of their own things and be generous and thoughtful. They took care in finding items for each child’s age. It was honestly so cute.
Christmas really is about acts of love. Mary, though uncertain, lovingly surrendered to God’s will. Joseph, despite the whispers of scandal, chose to love and protect Mary and the unborn child. The shepherds and wise men traveled great distances to honor and worship the Christ child, drawn by the love of God shining through the night sky.
But the greatest act of love was God Himself, giving His Only Son to the Earth, knowing the path ahead would lead to the cross. His love wasn’t just for a chosen few but for all of us — rich and poor, sinner and saint, near and far. All.
God’s love moved Him to give.. And let us respond by loving others as He has loved us—with selflessness, compassion, and grace.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
Prayer Prompt:
Take a moment to thank God for His incredible love. Ask Him to help you love others well this season, especially those who may be difficult to love.
Reflect:
1. How has God’s love been evident in your life this year?
2. Who in your life needs to experience God’s love through your words or actions?
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son, the greatest expression of love. Help me to share that love with everyone I meet, reflecting the light of Christ in my words and actions. May my life be a testimony to the power of Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Merry Christmas, Divas. I love you.
