The Gift of Sharing Me
“Preach the good news to everyone” (Mark 16:15 NLT).
Every person who comes to know Me is a treasured gift! When you tell someone about My love and they pray to receive Me, I am then able to pour My personal love into them. And not just then when they receive Me, but for all eternity.
The Gift of Praise and Adoration
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1 KJV).
Praise and thank Me for My first Christmas gift to you.
Do you know what that gift was? It was Me!
When you praise Me, it brings Me great joy. It also brings you and Me closer together. Then I can pour more joy into your heart.
The Gift of Forgiveness
“Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32 NLT).
When you forgive someone for the wrong done to you, you are giving a gift of appreciation to Me for how I’ve forgiven you.
"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).
"Man, thy sins are forgiven thee" (Luke 5:20b).
“Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us” (Luke 11:4 NLT).
When you forgive someone for something he or she did that hurt you, you reflect how I've forgiven you. That makes Me very happy.
Even if what the other person did made you unhappy, if you forgive him or her, then I can take away the hurt in your heart and make you happy again.
The Gifts of Music and Song
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord” (Psalm 100:1 KJV).
Even if you don't think you sing or play an instrument well, when you sing or play songs of praise to Me, I hear beautiful music!
That's because I hear the beautiful music of love and praise from your heart, which translates into wonderful heavenly melodies.
The Gift of Joy
“Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!” (Psalm 144:15 NKJV).
It makes Me glad to see you happy.
Whenever you are sad or are tempted to be glum, take time to count your blessings.
I dwell in your praises. This means that while you think about each of the good things I have done for you, I can then fill your heart with joy. We can then share that joy between us!
The Gift of Faith
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 ESV).
I've given you the gift of faith, and wish for you to return this gift to Me.
Picture My gift of faith to you as a bag full of coins. I fill this bag up each time you faithfully study My Word.
Reach into this bag often throughout the day and pull out coins of faith to hand to Me to show that you trust Me.
Do you need something? Hand Me one of these coins of faith in prayer, and believe that I'll provide all your needs.
Have plans changed, and something you had been looking forward to doing was canceled? Hand Me a coin of faith to show Me that you trust Me to still make you happy.
“God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God” (Romans 8:28 NLT).
The Gift of Listening to Me
“I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you” (Psalm 32:8 NLT).
I love to speak to you through My written Word. I also love to speak to you daily through My voice in your heart.
When you take time to listen to Me and obey what I tell you, I can answer your questions and show you My special love for you.
The Gift of Prayer
“Keep on praying for all the believers” (Ephesians 6:18, paraphrased).
Spend time praying for others:
When you pray for these different ones, you are not only giving Me the gift of prayer, but you are also giving them a tremendous gift! Your prayers will make it possible for Me to do special things in their lives.
The Gift of Giving
“Give and it shall be given unto you” (Luke 6:38 KJV).
Christmas is when My Father gave Me, His only Son, to the world.
By giving to others, you give Me the gift of giving. "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers [or sisters] of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40 NIV).
The Gift of Brotherhood
“Behold how good and pleasant it is for God’s people to do things together in unity” (Psalm 133:1, paraphrased).
I enjoy it when you enjoy times together with family and friends.
The Gift of Joyfulness
“Happy are the people whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 144:15 NKJV).
When you, My children, are happy and laughing, it makes Me very glad!
When you are happy, your smiling faces will cause others to want to know what makes you happy. Then you can tell them about Me.
By giving them Me, you can make them happy too.
“And the believers were filled with joy” (Acts 13:52 NLT).
The Gift of a Thankful Heart
“Give thanks for everything to God” (Ephesians 5:20 NLT).
Whenever something makes you happy or feel loved, take time to thank Me for that gift.
The Gift of Hugs
“Love each other with genuine affection” (Romans 12:10 NLT).
When you hug one of your loved ones, you can imagine that you are hugging Me and I am hugging you.
Your hug will make them happy because it will remind them of My love for them.
And whenever you give happiness to another, I pour happiness back into you. Give Me this gift of hugs by hugging one another!
Authored by Christi S. Lynch, based on writings by Maria Fontaine.
Illustrations by Didier Martin.
Colors by Catherine Lynch. Design by Christia Copeland.
Copyright © 2011 by The Family International