by Alfred Lamar Jackson

INTRO

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good morning! Yeah I switched it up on you. I couldn’t do the traditional thing. I also couldn’t bear the thought of posting a Christmas-y type message because I think that it’s expected on Christmas, naturally. So I wanted to come up with a topic completely unrelated to Christmas, however it is related to reason we celebrate Christmas. And the reason we celebrate class is, all together, “JESUS.” Very good.

Well here’s the result of my attempt: epic fail. I just couldn’t do it. I wanted to talk about gifts. More importantly I want to converse about the gifts that we give Jesus. I think most folks would jump to tithing, but I’m going to skip over to the spiritual gifts. Romans 12:1-2 is very “meaty” verse in my opinion, but I’m going to focus on a simple aspect.

“Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

So this is simply put, Jesus’ birthday wish list. He wants my body as a gift. I just wandered if I had ever really truly stopped to think about that? The same person who made me and gave me my body wants it back as a gift.

So what? Well I thought it over and asked myself about…. Myself. (Conundrum) Would I want my body in its current form as a gift? I mean don’t get me wrong, who wouldn’t want a six foot eight tower of lean chocolaty goodness? However, I continued to think about other things such as my heart health, my work ethic, my core values, and the things I’ve done and said or subjected my body to. Would I really want to give all of that to God? Eck!

OUTRO

Fortunately, two thousand plus years ago my God wrapped himself in flesh and came down from his glorious throne to die for me. He gave me the chance to clean up my act and give him back what was given to me. Pretty awesome.

This Christmas when I open gifts and give gifts, I’ll think about the gift that God wants from me. He wants the very best me that I have. A me that has been transformed by the renewing of my mind. I want to show him that I’ve taken care of his gift by keeping it finely tuned in all aspects, physical and spiritual.

Keep each other in prayer.

~~

Editor’s Note:  The RDC Contributor Group wishes you a warm, full and special Christmas Day.  We have a small, fun post for you later today introducing some of our writers a little better.  In the meantime, if you click on THIS LINK, go to minute 2:36...you’ll hear the Editor’s favorite rendition of O Holy Night, played by a New Orleans combo just a few months after Katrina hit.  Peace – The RDC

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