Tag: Jesus

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

              Those gifts you have given today and throughout the Season, – you hope they will be treasured and appreciated, not despised enough to end up at the exchange desk in a few days.  Have you thought about what you can give God that He will honor and treasure?  Listen to Psalm 51:17 for a suggestion from Him, (Don’t you love picking out your own present and being delighted when it actually appears under the tree?)  He says, “The sacrifice of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart (the conscious yielding of our will to His) These, O God, You will not despise.”

              You say, “I’m trying to do that; but, how does it translate into practical behavior that He will honor?”  I’m glad you asked.  I recently read in Charles Swindol’s collection of devotions, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, (my all-time favorite devotional book…I’m in my second reading now – at least 10 years from my first reading) a list of suggestions of things we can consciously do that will be approved by God when they are done for His pleasure, expecting nothing in return except the awesome pleasure and excitement of giving to Him.  MERRY CHRISTMAS, JESUS!

  • Mend a quarrel.
  • Seek out a forgotten friend.
  • Dismiss suspicion.
  • Write a long-overdue love note.
  • Hug someone tightly and whisper, “I love you so much!’
  • Forgive an enemy.
  • Be gentle and patient with an angry person.
  • Express appreciation.
  • Gladden the heart of a child.
  • Find the time to keep a promise.
  • Make or bake something for someone else – anonymously.
  • Release a grudge.
  • Listen.
  • Speak kindly to a stranger.
  • Enter into another’s sorrow.
  • Smile. Laugh a little.  Laugh a little more.
  • Take a walk with a friend.
  • Kneel down and pat a dog.
  • Read a poem or two to your mate or friend.
  • Lessen your demands on others.
  • Play some beautiful music during supper.
  • Apologize if you were wrong.
  • Talk together with the television off.
  • Treat someone to an ice cream cone.
  • Do the dishes for the family.
  • Pray for someone who helped you when you hurt.
  • Fix breakfast for someone on Saturday morning.
  • Give a soft answer even though you feel strongly.
  • Encourage an older person.
  • Point out one thing you appreciate most about someone you work with or live near.
  • Offer to baby-sit for a weary mother.
  • Give your teacher a break – be especially cooperative.