The Best Gift You Can Give for Christmas
Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope. Acts 20:2 MSG
I love to give gifts. I don’t just love to give gifts, but I love to give the perfect gift.
I’m not a “gift card giving” kinda girl.
I want to buy meaningful gifts that I know the person will love.
The look on their faces when they receive the gift brings pure joy to my heart.
Yet when I sat down to think about all the many gifts I needed to buy this year, I realized there is a gift I can give to others that can be the best gift they receive this Christmas, and it doesn’t cost anything except a few moments of my time.
This gift I can give to those I don’t even know.
It is the gift of encouragement.
In fact we can give this gift in a moments notice and without premeditation.
Sometimes the opportunity to give it presents itself in the most unlikely places.
Last night we attended a recital to support some friends of ours, whose daughter would be performing.
As we watched child after child get up to perform, I was amazed at their courage to go on stage and show the world what they had learned.
Yet for one young lady, this was not the case.
It was apparent by the look on her face, she was far from confident in what she was about to do.
As she began to sing, her voice cracked, she forgot her words and then she broke down in tears.
She left the stage, unable to finish her performance.
Because there was a pause in the performances, I advanced on the opportunity to take my little ones to the restroom, which happened to be occupied.
I could hear the occupant crying and recognized it was the girl who had just left the stage.
I felt a tug on my heart.
This was an opportunity to give this free gift.
I am by no means the type of person who talks to strangers, so this request was not an easy one for me.
When she exited the restroom I began telling her that I had seen her on stage, that she had a beautiful voice and that we were all looking forward to hearing her finish.
What I didn’t know was that her teacher was in the restroom with her convincing her of the same thing.
To my surprise she came back on stage, finishing her performance with grace and determination.
Many times people just need encouragement.
They need help seeing beyond the back chatter, the insecurities and the fears.
They need help seeing themselves as God sees them.
I don’t know how that moment will affect that young girl’s life, but I do know that for last night that free gift of encouragement helped her gather the courage to face her fear.
The Best Gift for Christmas
When we encourage others, we are giving them courage.
They become filled with the confidence to succeed and gain a hope to cross the finish line.
This Christmas there are many who need our encouraging words.
Maybe it’s you who needs the encouragement.
Sometimes we think, How can I encourage others when I’m feeling down myself?
Just because we’re not feeling encouraged, doesn’t mean that we can’t encourage ourselves or others.
As we inspire and edify others, we are sowing seeds of encouragement.
And you can be sure of this…whatever we sow, we will reap!
Practical Tips for Giving the Best Gift for Christmas:
Encourage yourself
David made it a habit of encouraging himself in the Lord. Each day we can confess who God is and what He’s done in our lives. Here are a few of the Psalms that encourage me:
Encourage family
Look for opportunities to encourage family members. What are their strengths? What are they good at? Speak those things over them. For example, we tell our son, Philip, what a gift he has for music. We constantly build him up in his strengths. My husband and I do this for all of our kids and for each other.
Encourage others
It’s amazing how a simple gesture can go a long way. Whether through a text, a Facebook message, an email or a phone call, just a simple word of encouragement can change someone’s day.
Prayer
God we are so grateful we can come to you for encouragement. Lord, remind us each day of who we are and what you’ve done for us. Help us to be aware of those around us that need encouragement. Lord give us the courage to step out and speak words of truth and life to them. Remind us that the best gift this Christmas can be a kind word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
How do you encourage yourself and others? Share in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!