“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
—John 3:16 (NIVUK)
If Christmas could be summed up in one word, it would be this—LOVE.
God loved the world so much, that He sent Love to the earth to save, heal and deliver us from the curse of the law and eternal separation from Him. Christmas is a celebration of the night Love was born—Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Jesus was the Light of Love to the world then, and still is today.
No greater love could any person ever know than that of our heavenly Father, who was willing to sacrifice His only Son for a sinful mankind.
This is the time of year when we reflect on that love. God is Love. And Christmas is a celebration of the greatest gift we have or will ever receive as a result—Jesus.
In spite of this truth, sometimes it seems as though we witness anything but love this time of year. Cars quickly pull in front of others to secure the best spot. Women fight over hand towels at Black Friday sales. Families bicker over Christmas dinner. Or maybe the tension of politics and a virus have taken over your mood this year.
The devil would love to distract us from the real reason for our celebration this Christmas. He seeks to steal our joy, kill our peace and destroy a treasured time for families everywhere, but we don’t have to let him!
It’s time to put the focus back on what Christmas is all about.
Let’s Get Back to Love
From cover to cover, the entire theme of the Bible is LOVE. It was Love who created the earth and every person who has ever lived. Love sent Jesus to die for our sins, restore us back to relationship with God, and give us freedom from the curse.
Love is the greatest commandment in His Word and encompasses every other commandment. “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13, NET).
Love is so important, the Bible says nothing else is worth anything without it (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
It’s easy to get distracted by the happenings in the world around us, but make no mistake, it’s time to get back to focusing on love.
Receive the Light of Love
You are loved.
No matter how you feel right now or who has done you wrong, that fact will never change. God paid the highest price possible for YOU. And He loves you every minute of every hour of every day—no matter what.
Some people have trouble receiving such a powerful love. They feel unworthy. But that’s a hindrance you’ve got to overcome if you’re ever going to be all that God made you to be.
No matter what you were told as a child, how a spouse devalued you, or how many times you’ve been rejected—that doesn’t define you. And it doesn’t determine your worth. God—Maker of heaven and earth, Creator of all mankind, the Alpha and Omega—loves YOU. That kind of love outweighs the love of everyone else on the earth combined.
If that isn’t resolved deep down inside you, this Christmas is the time. You can develop your faith in God’s love for you by spending time in His Word (Read 1 John again and again). His love for you is on every page of the Bible. Don’t ever go by how you feel about the love of God. Be confident in the fact that God’s mercy and goodness follow you all the days of your life.
Give the Light of Love
It’s no secret—you can’t give what you don’t have. When you receive the Light of Love—God’s love for you—you’ll naturally give that love to others. Without it, you’ll struggle to obey the second greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-40).
First John 4:11-12 (KJV) says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” By practising this love on one another, the love of God is perfected in us.
The word perfected means “allowed to run its full course.” You can let God’s love run its full course in your life. Love never fails. Here we are reaching for that “zero failure rate.” It is possible, and it will come to pass! How are we going to do it? Not by becoming perfect ourselves, but by acting on the Word of God and allowing the Father’s love, which is perfect, to run its full course in our lives. Even though we make mistakes, that love force will be there to prevent failure.
Live the Light of Love
This Christmas, honour the birth of Christ by living the light of love He represents. Show the love of Jesus to those around you.
These Bible principles from 1 Corinthians 13 will help you show the love of Jesus to those around you this Christmas season:
Love forgives, refuses to get offended, values people. Love and pride cannot coexist. It is not envious or jealous of others, is patient and kind, believes the best in others, rather than assuming the worst and love shuts the door on strife.
When you seek to love others, you are living out the true meaning of Christmas before the world. We know it isn’t about Santa, lights and gifts, but the world doesn’t. Let’s show them why we celebrate Jesus—the Light of Love—by the way we love others this Christmas season!
Watch Kenneth Copeland teach you why loving one another will open the door to prosperity in your life.
