14 Dec, 2009
The Christmas Spirit
BERLIN (Reuters) — Christmas comes early for one lucky driver
A young woman in Germany who burst into tears when police fined her for speeding received an early Christmas present when another woman caught for the same offence paid the charge.
Authorities in the western city of Aachen said the older driver was so moved by the woman's crying at the police station that she pulled out her purse and handed over the money.
"It is Christmas soon after all," local police quoted her as saying.
Story and photo taken from: reuters.com.
Matthew 6:2-4 (NIV)
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Christmas is upon us. The celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ has become a big business around the world. Many of us are stressing out trying to figure out the perfect gift to buy our friends and family. We worry if they will like what we give them and worry about if we will like what they give us. As great as all this is let us not forget the true meaning of Christmas.
The gift of Jesus Christ coming into the world as a baby was to usher in a new way of living. Christ would die on the cross to take away our sins and give us the Holy Spirit to live within us. The "old way" of obeying the law has given way to the "new way" of living in grace - totally dependent on Christ.
Let us take the simplicity of the lady in our story today and give to those in need without worrying about being recognized. May our desire be to bring glory to God and trust Him for the reward that awaits us in heaven. This is the true gift of Christmas.
Think about the gift of God becoming man. The God of the universe came as a baby, grew into a man, and went through many trials and temptations for us. How could our understanding of Christmas become more meaningful by meditating on this fact during the holiday season? Do I love God because of His good gifts or because of the gift of Himself?
Look for ways this Christmas season to give to others without being noticed. Maybe you could donate money, clothes, or time to those less fortunate who will never know your name. Pay the toll of someone behind you, contribute some money to someone at the grocery store (without them knowing it), etc... You get the picture. Ask God to use you to bless others with your reward resting with God.
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