Every year as the holidays come around there is a growing desire amongst many of us to slow down and enjoy the season. We dream of homemade presents, baking cookies and stringing our own popcorn garland as we listen to Christmas music on a snowy wintry night – something like a Hallmark movie.

In this climate, it is easy to get caught up in the frenzy and forget about the reason for the season – the birth of Christ – a gift to the world.

I recently spoke at a women’s event with the theme: “Be the Gift.” Maybe when we think about that theme, we automatically start ticking off why we can’t be or why we are not. We start rehearsing all the shame statements, “I’m not enough, I don’t have what it takes, I don’t even know how.” The truth is, we are all searching for significance – it’s a basic need, to know that we matter or that we are making our mark in the world and that our presence can be enough.

The deeper meaning here is the position of the heart. It’s about what we believe about ourselves and what we believe about who God is in us. Do we believe we can actually be the gift and our presence can make a difference? Not because of what we’ve accomplished or how many friends we have but because Jesus has made his home in our heart and we are one with Him? We are all in God’s eyes, a gift, His gift.

You are God’s Idea

Did you know that He calls you His great reward? You are the apple of His eye. He takes great delight in each of you. It is His light shining in you that enables you to be the gift. You are God’s idea. Before the foundations of the world were formed, He thought of you and He named you. Before you lifted a finger. Col. 3:4, 10 tells us “the tie to this life has been severed and our life is hidden away in Christ. As we know Christ – as He is seen for who He really is, who we really are will also be revealed, because we are one with him in his glory..our life is continually renewed into the likeness of the One who created us…”

There is no space between you and Jesus.

We love because He first loved us. Before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed for you – that you would know and experience God’s love, just as Jesus had. In the same way that God loved His son Jesus, is the same love that He loves you with.

The Aroma of Christ

And did you know that you carry the aroma of Christ that reaches to the heavens and fills God’s nostrils with you wherever you go? Think of it as wearing heavenly perfume. And Look at what the Song of Solomon says! This is Jesus speaking to the Shulamite

Bride, which is a picture of us! “For you reach into my heart, with one flash of your eyes I am undone by your love, my beloved, my equal, my bride. You leave me breathless – I am overcome by merely a glance from your worshiping eyes, for you have stolen my heart.” I am held hostage by your love and by the graces of righteousness shining upon you.”

Every move you make toward Jesus, moves His heart. We are significant to Jesus. We are His everything. Everything He accomplished on the cross was so you could be one with Him. You are His greatest desire and He has lavishly deposited into you everything you need to live in relationship with Him.

Wow, what a gift you are!

So how do we practically live this out? How are we the gift?” Let me remind you again – it’s not about performance or striving or even pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps and with some grit and determination, It’s about resting and yielding – and by faith, whether you feel it or not believing because it’s in His word and letting His love flow through you.

We are the gift as we step into who we are

We start from a place of knowing we are loved by God
We love large and extend grace to others
We are kind and consistently kind to others
We refuse to be jealous when good things happen to others
We don’t brag about our achievements nor inflate our own importance
We don’t traffic in shame and disrespect nor selfishly seek our own honor.
We are not easily irritated or quick to take offense
We joyfully celebrate honesty and find no delight in what is wrong
We are a safe place of shelter and don’t expose others
We believe the best about others
We don’t take failure as defeat and never gives up
We never stop loving

Jesus had good boundaries and didn’t entertain evil behavior (I always throw that in because I’m a counselor and we can distort love when it’s really fear) with His love flowing through us – and we can do this because He first loved us.

Activation

Close your eyes and take a couple deep breaths.

Because the word says we are to know the word and to experience it, we want to engage with what we have been talking about. We want to have these truths move from our head to our heart.

Now with your heart, turn your affections toward Jesus. Don’t overthink it, try and stay out of your head by practicing turning toward Jesus – meaning acknowledge Him – to turn toward Him means He becomes our focus.

Now repeat after me:

Thank you Jesus:

I am your idea – you knew me and you called me by name
I am one with you. There is no space between us.
I am always and dearly loved by you
I am your great reward
I carry the aroma of Christ
I leave you breathless
I have stolen your heart

Sit in this….

Let’s pray

Thank you Jesus because you are the gift, we are the gift. We are one with you becoming more and more like you as we spend time with you.

Show each one of us how we can “be the gift” this Christmas. We let go of everything that we are holding onto that feels burdensome or heavy. We ask that you would break off of us everything that is not of your original design, of who you created us to be. Maybe youre feeling led to extend forgiveness to those who have hurt you, or being more intentional about spending quality time with your loved ones. Maybe it’s letting go of your expectations or demands you have placed on others expressed or unspoken. Whatever you’re showing us Jesus, let your love flow through us afresh so we can respond to you with our yes!

Thank you because of your love, I can “be the gift.”