Have You Ever Asked the Lord What He Wants for Christmas?

“What do you want for Christmas?” is going to be a frequent question we ask our children, our spouses, and our friends in the next month. Have you ever thought about asking the Lord what He wants from us for this Christmas?

I don’t know about you, but I’m a list person. I keep lists of just about everything. And so I’ll have a list of people that I am getting gifts for this Christmas. Not all these gifts will be material things necessarily. I write letters to lots of people. (Helpful hint—my favorite gifts are heartfelt letters, not material things.) So, I will have a list of people and what they are getting for Christmas from me. Perhaps you’ll do the same. Here is a challenge: As you write down the names of your loved ones and what you are getting them, write down “Jesus Christ” and what you are getting for Him.

In Psalm 51, the Lord tells us what is pleasing to Him, the kind of “gift” He would like from us. Psalm 51 tells us that God has no delight in material sacrifices, such as a burnt offering. The sacrifice, the gift that God wants from us is a “broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart.”  This means a heart that comes to the Lord in repentance, broken of bad words, thoughts, and actions. The repentant heart is a delight to the Lord. Lips that speak His name, that praise and glorify Him, which share His love with others, these are gifts that bring joy to the Lord.

A contrite heart is a humble heart. And a humble heart is where the Lord leads, where we put aside ego and greed and we make Him the guiding Light in our lives. A thankful heart and a humble heart go hand in hand. Either thanksgiving leads to humility, or humility leads to thanksgiving. Both recognize that the gifts of God transcend all material gifts. Both realize that the gift acceptable to God is also not material—it is the gift of our hearts, of our very selves. So, as we make our lists of people and what we will give to them, I challenge you to put Jesus Christ on your list, and write out clearly, what you plan to give to Him. And if you plan to give Him a contrite and humbled heart, write out specifically what that means to you, and what that means for Him.

The icon being used for this unit on the Prayer Team is intentional. It focuses on the Magi, who made a two-year journey to bring gifts to Christ. Each day must have been a day of uncertainty, as they crossed foreign lands, braved the elements, perhaps even encountered hostile people. They left their countries and their positions of authority to follow a star. They didn’t know where it would lead, what they would find, or if they would return. But they went. They made the choice to go. They made that choice every day. When they arrived and saw Christ with their own eyes, the weariness of the journey left them quickly. And they were left with humility, thanksgiving, a joy. In return for these, they received Christ!

We too are beginning our journey to the manger. Let us set out like the Magi, by making the choice to follow. Let us plan to arrive with humility, thanksgiving, and joy. And in return for our humble, thankful and joyful hearts, we can again receive Christ!

Lord, thank You for all the material blessings I have in my life, the things others have given to me, the things I have been able to buy myself. Nothing that I have can repay You for what You have given me. Help me to understand the meaning of a contrite heart and a humble spirit. May I come to You with both humility and contrition. Help me to use this time of the Nativity Fast as a time to give You these gifts again, with consistency and with joy. Amen.

Start a Christmas list for the Lord today!