Finding the perfect gift

The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

Finding the perfect gift for someone can be a daunting task. Buying an article of clothing is tricky, because you can never be sure of the fit until trying it on. In addition, fashion is a matter of personal taste; something that you think looks great might languish in your loved one’s closet or get exchanged when you’re not around.

Consumer electronics are often popular as gifts, but they come with their own challenges. Not everyone is tech-savvy; choose something that has a lot of functions, and you might be giving a gift that is too complicated for your loved one to use. Small buttons are another problem; some folks have trouble using compact keyboards.

You need to be careful with how personal a gift is and how much it costs. How do you make sure the present doesn’t send the wrong message to your boss, your secretary, or the person you’re dating? How many people are on your gift list, and how much time and money can you devote to shopping this year?

There is one gift that never goes out of style. There is one gift that everyone can use. There is one gift that is always appropriate and is always affordable. That gift is God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

Everyone has done things that need to be forgiven. Everyone gets confused, and requires help to see the difference between right and wrong. Everyone grows weak, and needs renewed strength to go on. Everyone feels the effects of stress, and needs to experience peace. Everyone faces loss because of death, and needs the reassurance of hope. Everyone needs Jesus, because He alone addresses all these needs.

God’s Son is the original Christmas present, and to this day there is none better. Send Christmas cards that speak of Jesus. Set up a manger scene and explain it to your children. Invite your friends to come with you to church. Sing Christmas hymns with your family after you’ve opened the presents. Pray for the special people that you won’t be seeing this year. Let everyone know about the gift sent to us from heaven. Do this, and you can make the Christmas of 2010 a merry one.