A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:11
King James Version

Today is a happy day for me because it is my sister's birthday but there is a more exciting and special birthday that we celebrate every year, the birthday of our Saviour. 

That day was the happy and joyous day that Love, unconditional love, came into the world. The most beautiful Baby was born, the Baby Jesus. However, that Baby grew up and died on the cross for your sins and for my sins.

We can't buy presents for our loved ones every day of the year but we can give them unconditional love, compassion, tenderness and understanding. If we would only allow it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge that when we give love, unconditional love to our loved ones, we are also giving it to Jesus, we would make Him so happy.

May God help us to encourage one another and pray for one another instead of criticizing and judging as we often do to each other. I'm reminded of what one of my pastors used to say in his sermons. "If you will make sure your own heart is right before God, you won't have the time to criticize and judge others."

I don't know about you but I have to be honest and admit that there are times when I get upset when someone says something or does something that hurts me that I do not love others as Jesus has commanded us to love others.

Let's make Jesus happy by loving one another and being kind to each other not just at Christmas but every day of the year. I'm reminded of the little boy who said "My mom played with me all day on Christmas day but the next day she turned the television on and hasn't played with me or talked to me since Christmas day except to tell me what to do."

We must set a good example for our children. If our children don't see the difference Jesus makes in our heart and life, they are not going to accept Him as their Saviour. A young boy said to his parents when they came home from church. "You go to church, sing in the choir and teach Sunday school but when you come home you criticize the pastor and the sermon. If this is what being a Christian is, I don't want any part of it."

We read in the Bible. "Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:13,14).

Jesus loves our children more than we do and we can trust Him to take care of our children. Several years ago, I wrote a devotion about loving children and someone on my mailing list wrote "This devotion does not apply to me because I don't have children. Take me off your mailing list." 

Jesus wants us to love all children. Sometimes it's hard to love them when they say and do things that hurt us. However, we need to remember that God loves us even when we say and do things that hurt Him. Do your loved ones know you love Jesus by your words and by your actions?

Joanne Lowe
June 25, 2020