It’s all about the love. It’s not about the wrapping paper or if the gift gets wrapped at all. It’s not about what’s inside the box. It’s about the love that prompts the giver to search for a meaningful gift that would make the recipient feel special and loved.
Love comes from our Father and enables us to love like Him. Let us love each other with the same love that was manifested when Jesus died on the cross for our sin. It is a love that isn’t dependent on whether or not the recipient is lovable or worthy. It is a selfless love that comes from our obedience to God’s commands. May we love with the love of Christ regardless of how we are being loved.
I am ever thankful for a God who loved me enough to die for me. I am thankful that when I gave my life to Him, He sent His Spirit to live in me. I am thankful that His Spirit enables me to love others with the same love in which He loves me. I am ever thankful to know and experience His love which is the greatest most perfect love there is. I am thankful that my life is forever changed because of Him.
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.” ~1 John 4:7-12
Today we light the fourth Advent candle, the “Angel’s Candle” or “Candle of Love.” It reminds us of the angels announcing the birth of our Savior, Christ the Lord, and of God’s greatest gift of love.
Remember this week as you are finishing up your shopping, wrapping, baking and cleaning, that the most important thing that you can do is to love. It’s all about the love we have because of God’s love for us and about sharing that love with everyone.