As i was praying this morning i started thinking about gifts. I thought " there are a few SPIRITUAL GIFTS i'd like to receive", and then i thought "but what would I then GIVE to my Heavenly Father as a gift to him?" In Church i heard this thought : What we are is Gods gift to us, But what we BECOME is our gift to God. -This is just a thought but maybe we could make a "Christmas List" of the spiritual gifts that we desire. There are many spiritual gifts we could desire. For example i'd like greater knowledge and understanding of the scriptures, a stronger ability to hear and recognize Heavenly Fathers Voice and to follow the promptings of the spirit. To become an even more upbeat, happy and positive person than i already try to be. Ect.. The list can go on and be something that is very specific to your own personal life and needs.
Consider this quote from the Movie Evan Almighty: "Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"
Now, We then could make a list of the Gifts that we are going to give to our Heavenly Father in Return. But what do you get the man that has everything? Well we can start by doing something nice for one of his Children. When we reach out to bless the lives of one of his children, it's serving him. How do we change the world? One single act of random kindness at a time. I know that it's the HEART that Heavenly Father wants from us. We can give up our "Favorite Sins" and give him our whole Heart.
President Packer said "Obedience to god can be the very highest expression of independence. Just think of giving to him the one thing, the one gift, that he would never take. Think of giving him that one thing that he would never wrest (to gain with difficulty as if by force or violence) from you. Obedience that which god will never take by force, he will accept when freely given and he will then return to you the freedom you can hardly dream of". So our agency, our freedom to choose, can be used as a gift to give back to Heavenly Father and choose him over the world.
So in closing I challenge us all as we make our Christmas List of Spiritual gifts we want to "seek . . . earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given" (D&C 46:8). Gifts of the Spirit are given to bless and benefit those who love the Lord and seek to keep His commandments. (See D&C 46:9.)
May we remember Christmas gifts can become Christmas blessings.
Times change, years speed by; but Christmas continues sacred. It is through giving, rather than getting, that the spirit of Christ enters our lives. God still speaks. He prompts. He guides. He blesses. He gives. (President Monson)
May we likewise remember to make a Christmas list for those gifts we will give to our Heavenly Father and his Children here on earth. As we do so i know that we will be filled with the Christmas Spirit and the love of God. Lets put the CHRIST back into CHRISTmas.
Merry Christmas to you
-Dallas Curtis
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