“Have you allowed Christmas to be reduced to a time of materialism, selfish gratification, and stress? In today’s world, this sacred holiday has lost much of its meaning because people do not really know what Christmas is all about. The hustle and bustle of gift-buying, shopping, and catching the best sale consumes the majority of the public around this time of year. However, God’s purpose for the Christmas celebration is for us to remember and meditate on the most precious gift of all—Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior….It is easy to get wrapped up in the receiving aspect of the holidays, with much of the focus being on what we can expect to get from someone else. But what if every person, family, and community took on the attitude of servanthood and giving during the Christmas season?… I believe if this shift of focus would begin to take place, people’s needs would be met, love would be released, and everyone would get blessed. The blessing of Christmas is…really all about Jesus! He is the One who deserves the glory, honor, and praise for the awesome work He did on our behalf. He gave us the gift of salvation, something we did not earn or deserve. This Christmas, I want to challenge you to focus on someone else and purpose to be a blessing to them, just like Jesus was and is, to us. Make a list of all the people you know and ask the Lord to show you what you can do to make their lives more joyous. Find out what and how God wants you to give so He can demonstrate His love to someone through you. This is the true meaning of Christmas. Now, I am in no way saying it is wrong to receive gifts and experience the joy of getting something you really desire. God wants to bless you too!…Jesus is the One who gave us the gift of eternal life. Now that is something worth celebrating!” ——An excerpt from “Daily Devotions” by Creflo Dollar