The Most Wonderful Time
Everyone coins Christmas time as the, “Most wonderful time of the Year,” and it is in most respects! Most people seem a little kinder, loving, giving, and joyful! Going to the stores today, Christmas Eve, it may not look so loving.. but hopefully you are done shopping and are just spending today with family! What if Christmas was everyday?
Everyday Christmas
The Lord put a thought on my heart of having an attitude of Christmas, a love, passion, and giving heart, everyday! The reason we celebrate Christmas is the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!! Tomorrow, we will get up and have our time with the Lord of Creation, do our daily bible reading, and then when everyone is ready, before we open presents, we will read the Christmas story!
Everyday Starting With Christ
What if you start from here on out, getting up and giving it all to the One who came to set you free? Not the first of the year, but today? Not only having a routine of praying, reading the word, giving thanks, but also, looking for ways to give to your fellow man? What if it started with gathering your family, and giving them gifts? The word, your love, time, and joy! Just like Christmas!! What about others? What about the less fortunate?
Gifts To Others
When Christmas is upon us we make lists of those we want to give to, those usually include your spouse, immediate family, extended family, friends, church events, and the less fortunate. What if we made lists to find ways to bless others? The gift of time, love, monetary gifts, sacrificial giving? What if you found ways to give anonymously to those you know are in need? What about sending a text, card, food, candy, cookies, to those who may be alone today?
Monthly Giving
Starting now, looking for ways to give to a different family each month, or a stranger? Isn’t Christmas about the greatest gift? Jesus came to give us all the opportunity to be made free! What if we gave our family devotions, a monthly topic to study together? What if we were intentional in giving? Recently a man of God, Brother Terry Shock, was teaching Wednesday night on giving, and he asked the question, “Are you giving at home?” This stuck with me.
Giving To My Spouse
This is really just a thought provoking blog this week? Also, a call to action! To provoke good works!! Am I giving to my spouse? Do I just take? Am I looking for ways to give? Or am I just expecting to be served? I want to be a giver, I really want to not just give to others, but to my spouse! What about God?
Giving To God
What am I giving to God? Well, if you want to be a giver.. it all starts with giving to God! My first, my best, my praise, prayer, my time, my gifts, my life.. and oh yes.. my money! It’s really not mine, but if I give my money, what He makes me a steward over, He will bless the rest! Giving everything to the One who gave everything to me! Everyday Christmas!!
Prayer
Our prayer for you today is to look through eyes of love to see where and how you can give to those around you! To make everyday like Christmas!! To have joy, to spread cheer, to love like it’s time to give! Make lists, to find ways to help, to create ways to keep the excitement of Christmas all year round! To love your spouse and children and keep Christmas in your heart! To have a happily ever married!!
Scriptures:
Monday: Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He came to make us free, to give us life! Praying today you remember why we celebrate this season! Why He came!!
Tuesday: Isaiah 9:6 says, “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” It was prophesied that He would come and who He was! Praying you get to know the God of the bible today and keep it everyday in your heart!
Wednesday: Psalms 63:1 says, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;” Read all of Psalm 63 and start each day with Jesus!
Thursday: James 1:27 says, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” Everyday Christmas includes giving to others, praying today for a heart to reach those who have no one.
Friday: Matthew 19:21 says, “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.” Remember our treasure is not in this world so when we give we gain even more in the life to come for those who are in Christ!
Saturday: Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” When we love our spouse and follow Christ, we give. Jesus gave His life for His bride! Love gives!!
Sunday: Matthew 6:21 says, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Praying today the giving in your home starts with giving your tithe of increase to God! We either serve God or mammon(money), and it is shown by what we do with money we are a steward over.
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Thank you for investing in your marriage!!