The Gift That Can't Be Taken Away

The project that ignited a fire - I was asked to create graphics for an upcoming conference with the mission to empower kids’ ministry workers on ‘how to do Christmas well this year’.

What a great idea! It’s definitely going to look different and I’m sure we could all use a little more inspiration and encouragement.

But as I read some of their design concepts, a fire started to ignite within me.

“The COVID that stole Christmas”

“It’s (not) beginning to look a lot like Christmas”

Hold on, nothing can steal the meaning and purpose of Christmas. Nothing can take away what Jesus has done and God’s endless love and presence with us. But maybe what is being taken away is all the fuss and frills of Christmas and what will be left is its original intent… the hope of Jesus.

Hope in the midst of loss:

It got me thinking about our own lives. This year has been filled a lot of different loss and grief, it can feel like so much has been taken away and stolen. And it’s really important for us to own and honor our stories of grief. They matter.

But reflecting on my own life and those around me, some of what has been taken away has been the fuss and frills of life. The busyness, the endless to-dos, the hustle, the racing from one event to the next, the pushing ourselves even when we’re sick, the strive for perfectionism.

It seemed like there was a universal stripping away of the fluff we’ve added, of what’s distracting us, of all the worldly comforts, of self-reliance.

Some of these losses have caused us to pause and reconsider what life’s truly about, what’s really important, what is God’s original intent for us.

And for the bigger losses, I found myself pondering, what’s left when everything else seems to be taken away.

One thing remains:

So in the midst of reading this design brief, I felt God press in to these ponderings.

Even when everything else seems to be taken away, one thing remains – His unending love and presence with us through Jesus Christ.

And that is the good news and true gift of Christmas!

Jesus is the gift. And in Jesus, we receive so many more gifts.

The gift of peace beyond understanding and uncertainty. The gift of joy in all circumstances. The gift of hope as an anchor for our souls. The gift of rest in relationship. The gift of comfort for the brokenhearted. The gift of sufficient grace. The gift of adoption into God’s family. The gift of unconditional love. And much more.

Unwrapping Gods good gifts:

The FREE gifts that God lavishes upon us can’t be earned or stolen. However, we can be unaware of what’s already ours. I wonder how many of us have God’s good gifts sitting on a dusty shelf, unwrapped and unused.

I know there are times in my life when I totally forget who Jesus is or what He’s given. Crying out for something God has already given me or forgetting what I already have access to.

Are we actually unwrapping God’s good gifts?

How often do we receive, use and share the good gifts He’s given us?

This became my challenge and encouragement, not just to know His gifts, but to accept them, to intertwine my life with them, to practice them, to share them. To receive and give hope, peace, joy, love.

The greatest gift:

And maybe we can rediscover what Christmas is all about, not the frills and fuss as so many of us get distracted by, but unwrapping the greatest gift the world has ever known, Jesus. Receiving Him, having relationship with Him and sharing Him with those around us.

In the midst of loss, let us be comforted by what can’t be taken away - sweet Jesus.

Want to see more of Ruth? Follow her Instagram here and visit her website here.

About the author: Ruth Lewis-Jones

Ruth Lewis-Jones is the founder of ichoosereal - a project making a huge impact for the Kingdom of God through empowering girls around the world to know that with Jesus, they are more than enough. They center around reminding ladies the names Jesus calls us - beloved, child, loved and more than enough because of what He did on the cross.