Have you ever given someone the perfect gift and watched their face light up?

That’s a glimpse of God’s nature. His heart is to give and be generous—again and again and again. Through Jesus, who was the first Christmas gift, He gave us salvation and so much more, and He continually gives us good things.

James 1:17 is a Christmas verse:

Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn’t change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon. (NOG) 

We are saved and walking with Jesus today because the Father of Lights likes to give gifts. Have you ever paused and considered what you could give back to Him?

What does God want?

This month at our church, we watched a beautiful interpretation of “The Little Drummer Boy,” which is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Just like the drummer boy, we might feel like we don’t have a worthy gift, especially when we realize in our hearts that this is God—what could we possibly give Him? He doesn’t need anything; He owns everything and He made everything.

Yet this Christmas, I want to highlight two precious things this King desires:

1. God wants a relationship with you. 

How blessed are all those who long for Him. (Isa. 30:18 NASB)

Yahweh is the God of love, and one thing He deeply, passionately desires from you is close and intimate relationship, where you can understand His heart for you and see yourself the way He sees you. He desires your love, and He sees your love as a huge gift to Him. An abundant blessing.

2. God wants to heal you.

Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span. (Ex. 23:25–26 NIV)

This can be a difficult concept to grasp in a world filled with pain, but God wants to heal us. He is our Healer (Ex. 15:26), and He heals even when it is inconvenient! Think of the birth of Jesus in light of this New Testament story:

The Jewish leader who was in charge of the synagogue was infuriated over Jesus healing on the Sabbath day. “Six days you are to work,” he shouted angrily to the crowd. “On those days you should come here for healing, but not on the seventh day!”

The Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Don’t you care for your animals on the Sabbath, untying your ox or donkey from the stall and leading it away to water? If you do this for your animals, what’s wrong with allowing this beloved daughter of Abraham, who has been bound by Satan for eighteen long years, to be untied and set free on a Sabbath day?” (Luke 13:14–16 TPT)

Don’t be afraid to come to the Lord for healing. Your head might say, “I don’t want to be a bother!” But that isn’t how God feels about healing you. This Christmas, see the Lord as the Healer of your body, soul, and spirit—every part of you. He loves healing and longs to heal. That’s just who He is.

The healing of your heart can be your gift to Jesus.

One special gift you can give the Lord this Christmas is your pain.

This year I’m choosing to give Him my disappointment. Certain things did not go the way I wanted in 2021, and my heart is grieving deeply. Also, probably like you, I’m tired of COVID and how it has changed so much of life. I despise the fear that has gripped men and women around the world.

When I give my disappointment to Jesus, I can feel such a great sense of relief. Jesus is my joy and the Source of all the good things in my life and the lives of my loved ones. Because of His birth—because He set aside all divine privileges and came in flesh and blood, as a tiny human being—I get to experience relief from the pain I’ve been carrying.

If you’re single and struggling with loneliness, I encourage you to give Jesus your disappointment.

If you’re in a relationship that isn’t working out, be brave and give Jesus your disappointment.

Or maybe you’re carrying sadness because of your circumstances. Maybe you’re grieving too. You can give that sadness to Jesus and experience His comforting arms.

Just as the little drummer boy discovered, there is always a gift we can give to our Savior that brings Him pleasure.  

Let’s play our “drums” for Jesus and thank Him for coming to earth and making a way into the heart of Love.

Merry Christmas from BTO!

On behalf of Leon, Salomé, their family, and the Becoming the One team—we wish you a merry Christmas and a very blessed New Year! May you be filled with the joy, love, peace, and healing of God’s Spirit. We pray these things in the precious name of our Savior, Jesus.

For more information on sex, marriage, and finding the person who is right for you, get a copy of Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.