1 John 3:16 – This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. (NIV)

As the Christmas season approaches, my mind is consumed with the buying of gifts, especially for my children and grandchildren. I desire to give each of them a gift that conveys how much I love them — gifts that will remind them in years to come, when I'm no longer on the scene, how much I loved them.

Once God, too, searched in his mind for a gift to give his children to show how much he loved them. He decided to send his only Son to suffer and die for us that we might be saved. What great love! He loved us so much he sacrificed his only Son! How could I give just one of my children to save the world? Yet, God gave his only one! What a price to pay! What great love! What a great gift! In return for his gift he asks:

1 John 4:11 – Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (NIV)

What a small price to pay for such a great gift; yet, how hard it is for us to do. He gives it as an imperative; not as a suggestion or a subtle wish; it is an order that requires action and response: "Love one another."

My aim should not be "to be remembered", but to teach them "to love one another". The imperative to love has its own rewards — far greater than any memories of a mother.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the greatest gift the world has ever known. In return, you ask us to love one another. As parents and grandparents, may we strive to pass on this imperative to our loved ones. Amen.

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