Have you ever listened to the words of Christmas carols? I am blessed to live in a city with a radio station that starts Christmas music at the beginning of November and plays it 24 hours a day until at least the day after Christmas. What JOY!
(Sidebar: When Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” comes on the radio, I totally geek out with toe-tapping, finger-pointing, rhythmic, tone-deaf singing.)
I love this time of year. We get to see family, give gifts, gather and mingle with people we may not have seen in years. I love it. But I think it all needs to be viewed a specific way, a Godly way.
The Little Drummer Boy, originally known as “Carol of the Drum” by Katherine Kennicott Davis, has forced me to put my entire Christmas into perspective. The last few lines have literally pierced my soul.
“I have no gift to give // that’s fit to give a King (read: THE King).”
When we have no resources, nothing to our name, nothing to offer the Savior of the World, the Living and Breathing God of all Creation, how do you give a gift?
“Shall I play for you?”
Have you had the awesome experience of realizing what gifts God has given to you? Do you use them as an offering to praise and serve our Lord? Shouldn’t we? Dancing, singing, cooking, sewing, organizing. Anything that feels like a ‘natural’ ability is truly a gift from God, and should be used as such, don’t you think?
“I played my drum for Him.”
Isn’t it easy to just do instead of give? I can do my job, I can do dinner, I can do the laundry. But how do those glorify God who has blessed me with a career? Who has given me the ability to make edible food for my family? Who’s given me a family to have laundry to do! Do I have the right heart in all of my actions? I can certainly complete each of these things, but how am I glorifying God in those moments?
“I played my best for Him.”
That’s the difference. If I take my God-given talents and don’t use them to the best of my God-given ability, then I’m not doing what I’ve been blessed with doing. If I haven’t given my best, I’m not truly giving to God. I am checking off my tasks and getting things done and am still tired and when I turn to talk to God about my day, I sometimes show up empty handed. What did I do for Him? What did I do my best for Him today? I want to always be able to tell Him what that was.
“Then He smiled at me.”
This, to me, is the equivalent of “Well done, good and faithful servant (Matt. 25:21).” Can you even fathom the joy you will feel in God’s grace and mercy when you give your best and it makes Him smile? I cannot wait. I want Jesus to look at me trying my best for Him, and I want it to make Him smile. Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum.
