“The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.”
Our Lord is good. He gives us good things. Do you and I acknowledge those good things?
James 1:17 reminds us:
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,
who does not change like shifting shadows.
What gifts have come down from above into your life? Have you thanked Him for those good gifts?
Christmas is a time for gift-giving and gift-receiving. We compile lists of our wants, to make it simple for those who are shopping to buy just the perfect gift. As we make those lists, it’s convicting to ask, “Are the things I desire, think about, and long for…good things? Do they spur me on in my affection for Jesus?”
We are never more vulnerable to the traps of consumerism, materialism, and narcissism than at Christmas. The endless sales, ads, coupons, and bargains propel us on to keep wanting, shopping, and buying. But are those all good things?
We are never more vulnerable to the traps of consumerism, materialism, and narcissism than at Christmas. Click To TweetBefore we jump to make our list of wants, perhaps it would be helpful to push the pause button and take a moment to make an already-have list.
Johnson Oatman, Jr. wrote Count Your Blessings in 1897—over 100 years ago—but the lyrics offer timeless truth to us in the 21st century:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
Perhaps a good challenge for yourself—and for the children in your life—is to make an Already-Have List before making a Christmas list this year. How about one item for each year of life? Seven-year-olds should identify seven blessings and 57-year-olds can be challenged to list 57 good things! If that’s too much, start off with a list of just ten things. We’ve created a printable Christmas 'Already-Have' List that can help. You could make filling out the list a personal exercise, or do it together as a family.
It’s always the season to count your blessings and acknowledge the good things God has provided.
Editor’s Note: Click to download the printable Christmas 'Already-Have' List for your family.
