The big push to Christmas shop seems to be greater than ever before.
Though sales started before, the push accelerated on Thanksgiving night.
It seems people had to get the jump on 'Black Friday.' What a sad commentary on what Christmas is to the world! Exchanging gifts is a part of the Christmas celebration, but not the whole of it as some would think.
With all the commercialism, some Christians wonder if it is right for a Christian to give gifts. Hopefully, this message of a few years ago will put hearts at ease as we see that God gave the first Christmas gift. I had entitled it:

                                 The Gift Exchange

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes (trust in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

"God so loved He ...gave!" His gift to us is His only begotten (unique) Son who came to this earth to save us from sin and reconcile us to God through His death on the cross. For a gift to be a gift it must be received, therefore "...that whosoever believes..." is a necessary response for this gift to result in newness of life (eternal life).

Gifts most often come wrapped and God's gift did also. Jesus, born in a stable, was wrapped in swaddling clothes when He first came to earth, but about thirty-three years later He was covered as darkness enveloped the whole land. This was the time that He endured the agony of the cross as He paid the penalty for all sin and opened the heavens for all who would believe.

What then is our side of the gift exchange? Nothing less than our lives. Not that old life, for when we are born again that old life goes into death. No, it is the new life that is born of the Spirit that we give to our Lord for Him to have full control of, to rule and guide, as we trust and obey Him.
And how is it wrapped? It is wrapped in songs of praise honoring and worshipping the Lord God Almighty who has done great things. He alone is to be praised and worshipped.

Blessings to you this Christmas and may the coming year be filled with a greater knowledge of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. Amen