Love — The First Gift of Christmas

Love looked like a little child in a lowly manger. Born of a virgin and a carpenter. Wrapped not in silk, but in swaddling cloth.

When heaven touched earth that night in Bethlehem, it wasn’t with thunder or fire, but with love. Christmas begins here, in a stable that smelled of hay and hope.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” — John 3:16

That verse is the heartbeat of the season. Before there were carols or candles, there was Love choosing to come close.

Love is why Jesus left heaven. Love is why the angels sang. Love is why the cross and the resurrection were already in motion the night He was born.

Sometimes the noise of December makes it easy to forget that simple truth: we are loved and accepted. Not because we’re perfect, but because God’s love is.

This Christmas, pause long enough to let that truth settle. Let it melt fear, guilt, and striving. Because the manger tells you what your heart most needs to hear: you are loved. You always were.

Reflection

How might your Christmas change if you truly believed you are already loved, completely, endlessly, unconditionally?