All of you, slave and free both, were once held hostage in a sinful society. Then a huge sum was paid out for your ransom. (The Message, 1 Corinthians 7:23-24)
I have seen several news reports that say holiday spending is up this year. We usually spend money to buy gifts for others as our way of showing them how much we care about them. Sometimes we buy gifts out of duty feeling pressured to give something to someone out of obligation. Other times we give gifts to those we love to show them they are appreciated. For those we truly love we cannot put a dollar amount upon their worth to us.
One report stated that Americans spent over 41 billion dollars last year on our pets! Why are we so in love with our pets? Perhaps it is because we mean something to them. They depend on us. They need us. They reciprocate our love. I saw a bumper sticker that read, “The more people I know the better I like my dog.”
Do you realize how valuable of a gift you are? You may not feel like you mean anything to anyone but I have news for you; you do. You might think you are an outcast, the black sheep of the family or the unappreciated coworker. Christmas time is depressing for you because like Charlie Brown, there are no cards in your mailbox. No invitations to parties, no family to have dinner with, no banquets to attend. Christmas is just another day.
God appreciates you. He loves you and cares about you so much that He gave you life to begin with and then paid the ultimate price to have you for His own. The old devil kidnapped us by way of Adam and Eve in Eden but God paid the ransom to get us back! That Nativity scene in front of the church or in the neighbor’s yard is but a symbol of how much God loves you. He gave the life of His Son in exchange for yours! People may not appreciate you but Jesus does! The Apostle Peter said that all the silver and gold in the world is not worth as much as you are to God! That little symbolic plastic or porcelain baby in that manger scene should remind you of how valuable you really are. A Gift from God to you.
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