by Cynthia Nelson

Created on: November 21, 2008   Last Updated: March 28, 2009

When I worked in retail, I used to stock the shelves. The stockers would work overnight during the Christmas season so that we would have time to stock all the extra merchandise that we received. All retail stores look forward to the holiday season because that is when they make the most profit. They try to take advantage of people out shopping for the perfect gift for their loved ones. The closer you get to Christmas, the more desperate shoppers become and will buy almost anything. And of course, every year there is always a must-have item that is hard to find and sells out within minutes of hitting the shelves.

Have we forgotten what Christmas is really about? Or have we become more focused on shopping for the perfect gift? Are you overlooking the greatest gift that anyone can receive? It is something that cannot be found on a store shelf-the gift of salvation. If Jesus had not been born, then He could not have died on the cross so that we can be saved. He gave us the gift of eternal life, all we have to do is accept Him as our personal Savior and worship Him just as the shepherds and the wise men did. Most of us know the poem `Twas the Night Before Christmas by heart, but do we know what happened on the day Jesus was born? Do we fully understand the ramifications of His birth?

I wonder if Jesus would be pleased about the way we celebrate Christmas. When you read about the very first Christmas in Matthew chapters 1 and 2, and Luke chapters 1 and 2, everyone that came in contact with Jesus worshipped Him. The reason why we receive gifts is to show people how much we love them, just as God showed us by giving His only Son, Jesus, for the pardon of our sins. All that God asks for in return is that we accept His Son, Jesus, as our Lord and Savior.

Wouldn't it be awesome if we spent as much time and energy searching to find out the true meaning of Christmas, as much as we do searching for that perfect gift? If we did, we would realize that Jesus is the Greatest Gift, given to us by God because He loves us so much. This gift is not something that should be hidden or put up for special occasions, but it is to be shared with our loved ones, friends, and even people we don't know. Jesus is the greatest gift because He gave up His Life for our sins, so that we could spend eternity in heaven. This Christmas, make an effort to offer to everyone you know the Greatest Gift, the gift of salvation, bought with Jesus' precious blood.

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