Finding Joy At Christmas

I have three small kids. Needless to say they are very excited about Christmas coming around the corner in a few short (or long to them) days. Every wonder why small children get so excited and are filled with such joy from receiving presents at Christmas time? On the flip side, do you ever wonder why as adults, we usually don't get all that excited about receiving presents?

I think it might come down to resources. My oldest child is five and he knows that any presents that he might receive this year are completely due to the beneficence of his parents. He knows that he can't go out and get a job to be able to buy the things that he wants. His joy is found in that all the presents that he receives are completely beyond his personal resources.

As adults we know that we probably won't get anything this year that we most likely couldn't already go out and buy on our own. Most gifts that we will receive this year are well within our resources. This might point to a reason why most adults don't get quite as excited about gift giving and receiving as our children do.

So what can we learn from our kids in all this about Christmas joy?

There is a gift for adults that is completely beyond our resources. It's the gift of salvation. The challenge this year for us as adults may be to ponder deeply the gift of God that is completely beyond our resources. Let's take a cue from our kids this year and become childlike, giving exuberant thanks for this gift and rejoice in what we have been given!

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(HT: Analogy taken from John from this sermon)