Yesterday I posted my Top Five Reasons for Focusing our Grandchildren on Giving at Christmas, but today I want to stop to think about the Top Five reasons for Focusing our Grandchildren on Receiving at Christmas . . . yes, I said “receiving”! At Christmas children – and adults, too – think quite a bit about the gifts they would like to receive, but in God’s Word we find some of the most incredible gifts anyone could ever receive. And we read they are gifts God wants us to receive! Consider the following…
- I Peter 1:3,4,8,9 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (HCSB)Praise God! Because of His great mercy, God has given us new birth and a living hope through Jesus’ resurrection! He wants us to receive His amazing gift of salvation! There is no better gift we could ever receive! This is a gift we want kids to focus on receiving!
- Acts 17:11 “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (NASB)God’s Word is a gift like no other! It allows us the opportunity to know God and how to walk with Him. We want the children in our ministries to receive God’s Word with great eagerness! We want them to be excited about examining the Scriptures every day so they can grow in their walk with Jesus! This is another important gift for our kids to focus on receiving!
- Matthew 7:7, 8, 11 – “ <em “Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.” (CEV)Is there anything so amazing as the truth our Heavenly Father hears us when we pray? Not only does He hear us, but He says if we “ask” we will “receive“! Rejoice with the children in your ministries this Christmas over the incredible gift God gives us of hearing us when we pray and of answering our prayers! We want our kids to know they can and will receive answers to their prayers!
- Hebrews 12:28 “We are receiving a kingdom that can’t be shaken. So let us be thankful. Then we can worship God in a way that pleases him. We will worship him with deep respect and wonder.” (NIrV)God’s Word tells us we are “receiving a kingdom that can’t be shaken”! This gift is the gift of hope! God’s kingdom will not be shaken. It is firm and it is everlasting and this does give us so very much to be thankful for! Lead the children in your ministry in worshiping God this Christmas for the promise He has given us of receiving His kingdom!
- John 14:15-17 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (ESV)As if all the other incredible blessings we receive from God are not enough, He goes above and beyond and gives us the Holy Spirit to be our Helper! He is with us forever! We can know Him! Amazing!
So… this Christmas help your grandchildren focus on receiving… receiving salvation, God’s Word, the ability to talk to God and have Him answer our prayers, a kingdom which can’t be shaken and receiving the Holy Spirit, our Helper Who will never leave us! And then, challenge them with the incredible truth of while they can receive these amazing gifts, so can everyone they know, too! Which of course brings us back to helping them focus on giving… giving these gifts they’ve received to others, because they can share each one of them with the people they know!
