Closer To God This Christmas By Trevor Hudson Exemplo

A Generous God

Has it ever struck you how generous God is? To begin with, God has given you and me the unrepeatable gift of our lives. In addition, not only has God created us, but He has also given us all the gifts of this world to enjoy and to share. Surely we should be mindful of this during the season of giving when we celebrate the birth of our incredible Savior!

Think of the creation story: When God created Adam and Eve, God gave them all they needed. He gave them air to breathe, food to eat, someone to love and work to do. What more could you want! Creation vividly expresses God’s extravagance and abundance. 

However, God’s generosity doesn’t stop there. He has poured His love into us in and through Jesus Christ. This is the staggering extravagance of the wide-open heart of God. As gospel writer John puts it: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NRSV). 

In this verse we catch a glimpse of God’s lavish, sacrificial and self-giving love overflowing to each one of us. Will you allow your heart to be broken open by this generous God in this Christmas season?

Daily practice

Take some time this December to meditate on the generosity of God. One simple way in which to do this is to look at the cross. As you do this, open your closed heart to receive the generous love of God. 

Here is a prayer you can say aloud: “Lord God, thank You for all Your gifts. Thank You for the gift of my life and the lives of my loved ones. Thank You for all the gifts of creation that come to me freely each day. Most especially, thank You for the gift of Your love shown on the cross. Please break open my closed heart so that Your generosity may flow through me to others. Amen.”