Good Times

These are tough times in many ways for many people, but for those who believe in Jesus Christ, they are also really good times because of some of the great opportunities God has brought our way.

As we enter the Christmas season, as we celebrate the birth of Christ, many people will struggle trying to give gifts to their friends and families this year.  They will be searching for something they can afford.  Many will be charging up those credit cards and hoping things get better next year.  All because we want our friends and families to know how much we love them, we want them to have the best Christmas ever.  We want Christmas to be “Good Times.” 

 In spite of the difficulties of our times, we can celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by giving our friends and families the most expensive, extravagant Christmas gifts they may ever recieve from us.  Yes, there are some gifts we can give each other that will most likely cost us more than all the money we will ever have.  This Christmas can really be “Good Times!”  We all love recieving gifts!  Give the gifts that bring “Good Times!”

 We can give the “gift of understanding.”  Sometimes we just need to be more understanding with each other.  What does it mean to be understanding?  It means to “make what is important to the other person as important to you as the other person is to you.”
 Giving the gift of understanding sends the message to our loved-one that they are more valuable to us than all the money in the world.

 We could give someone the gift of “promises kept.”  What about all the promises we have made God, the promises we have made to others.  Keeping our promises inspires hope, trust and security in those we love and care so much for.  Promises kept, is a priceless gift!

We need to give those that are the most precious to us the gift of “respect.”  The Bible teaches us to give honor to those whom honor is due.  The Bible actually tells us to honor or respect other people.  As a matter of fact the Bible says that we are to delight in honoring each other.  We can give the gift of respect by respecting each other’s property, privacy and time.  Respecting others helps them know just how important they are to us.

 We can give the gift of “encouragement.”  Perhaps the easiest way to grow a healthy relationship is to offer encouragement.  We can encourage each other by smiling, never underestimate the power of an authentic smile.  The Bible talks about a man named Job.  He said that when people around him were discouraged, “I smiled at them, my look of approval was precious to them.” 
 We can encourage each other with our good words.  Someone said, “Man doesn’t live by bread alone.  He also needs buttering up.”  Words are power!  It’s amazing what the right words can do to encourage those we care about.  Tell all your friends, “Something Good is gonna happen to YOU!”

 We can encourage each other by pointing out all the positives in each other.  A reporter once asked Andrew Carnegie the great entrepreneur of the previous generation why he hired 43 millionaires to work for him.  Carnegie pointed out that those men were not millionaires when he hired them.

 The reporter then asked, “How did you develop these men to become so valuable to you that you paid them so much money?”
 Carnegie relied that people are developed the same way gold is mined.  When gold is mined, serval tons of dirt must be moved to get an ounce of gold; but you don’t go into the mine looking for dirt, but, you go in looking for gold!   Start looking for gold in your children, your companion, your friends, your church family, etc… 

Finally, the most expensive, extravagant gift you will ever give is the gift of forgiveness.  Anyone who lives in a family of any kind knows that people will disappoint you and hurt you.  We must develop the wisdom to overlook a lot of little things and forgive each other. 
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The greatest gift Christ gave, the gift that cost Him the most, was forgiveness!  Are you rich enough to give the most expensive gifts!  Can you be Christian enough to give gifts that are more valuable than money!  This year give gifts that are priceless!  And let the “Good Times” roll!