The Greatest Gift

Who doesn’t love babies?  So small, precious, innocent, and helpless, it is so easy to love them.  Babies cannot do anything for us or for themselves.  They don’t have to do anything to gain our love.  We don’t love them because of what they do or don’t do, we love them simply because of who they are and the fact that they exist.  When we hold a baby in our arms, we are filled with love and admiration and just want to stay close to them.  The Son of God too came to the earth as a newborn baby, when He could have come in any way that God desired.

Jesus coming to us as a newborn baby can teach us a lot.  Maybe one of the reasons He came to the world in this way is so that we would love Him the same way we love any other babies.  God wants us to learn to love Him for who He is and not what He can do for us.  Do we love God because of what he gives to us and does for us or do we love God simply because He is our Father and Creator?

When we feel like our lives are going well and according to our plans, it’s easy to love God.  We thank Him for all of the blessings in our lives and don’t question His goodness.  But maybe when we face obstacles and times of uncertainty, we start to doubt God and question if He really loves us.  Christmas is a season to help us to grow in our ability to love God for who He is and not what He can do.  Taking time to love and adore the infant Jesus can help us to love and adore Him in all seasons and in all circumstances.

Anytime we have the blessing of being around a newborn baby, we want to draw close to them and it’s easy to feel love and tenderness.  And God wants us to have those same experiences when we approach Him.  He wants us to be comfortable approaching Him and to draw closer to Him, to experience His love and tenderness towards us.  When we encounter God, we should be filled with love and adoration for Him, just as we are when we hold a newborn baby.
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This Christmas season, as you continue to meditate on the birth of Christ, think about how His coming as an infant can impact your love for Him.  Continue to open your heart and remember that He wants to be close to you.  Trust in His deep love and care for you and find joy in the greatest gift the world has ever been given.