L. O. V. E.

What do you love most about the gifts you received this year? Is it something tangible you have or is it a feeling you hold deep inside? Hopefully it’s both.

When we love someone, the way that we show it best is often through a physical gift that we can give. That’s usually the go-to. Our culture reflects this very poignantly through the holiday season with all the signs we are bombarded by. It’s a barrage of “any-thing” that never seems to end.

We see the signs. We hear the sounds. We smell the smells and we taste and see. We consider a gift’s impact on our loved one but it’s only once a gift is given that it can truly give its message. Tangibly at first, but it’s the intangible gift of love that remains.

You may have heard that God is love. And if He is love, how on earth does He love us? Interestingly, humanity has heard beforehand of God’s love through numerous fulfilled prophecies given to us in the Old Testament. God has announced and foretold of His love to us through the Holy Bible.

The tangible gift? His only begotten son, Jesus Christ. God’s perfect son sent to us as a relatable human who understands our humanity completely. The unpacking of God’s gift to us can take a moment, a lifetime and an eternity, all at the same time. Whosoever believes in Him will never perish for their mistakes but will experience everlasting life (John 3:16).

If you’re like me, you might be wondering things like “I didn’t see him in the flesh. I didn’t get to touch him with my hands”. True. But many people did see and touch him, over 2000 years ago. Yet the tangible gift God wants to give you and me is His very presence. His spiritual essence. His holy life in exchange for ours.

And the beautiful thing about the possibility of believing and receiving this gift of love? It can be a gift exchange. You can choose to give your life to God as you receive His. And there’s nothing you need to do or change about yourself. Just give back yourself.

So if you received a gift this Christmas, what remains with you? The best gift leaves its presence with a complete sense of satisfaction to our souls. It tells us we are unconditionally loved. It tells us we are accepted as we are. We are valued. But mostly, it moves us to love and inspires us with the possibility of who we can become. I’m not sure about you but I want the power to love like that.

Lisa Strelau leads Women at SouthRidge Fellowship Baptist Church in Langley, BC. She has worked in Marketing and TV production for FamilyLife Canada and has a passion to see family and youth thrive.