The spirit of Christmas is often centered on giving and receiving gifts. At Christmas, many children and adults eagerly anticipate receiving their heart's desire.

What does Christmas mean to you? Is December 25 just a day to unwrap presents beneath a tree? Do you tell your children that Santa Claus visited them overnight? When they ask you about the meaning of Christmas, what do you tell them?

See It From God's Perspective
I pray that you will teach them that there's more to Christmas than glittering lights, ornaments and decorated lawns. Help them look beyond the food, the parades and the Christmas carols.

Although it may sound cliché, let them know that Jesus is the reason for the season! Help your children to see this holiday from God's perspective.

This Christmas, take time to enjoy the gift of life that God has given you through His Son Jesus. Enjoying this kind of life starts with knowing that you can look to God rather than others to meet your needs. He is your source. Receiving gifts may make you happy temporarily, but true, lasting happiness comes from the Lord!

If no one ever gives you another present for the rest of your life, don't get depressed. God is a BIG God! With Him, you can have whatever your heart desires.

No one really has to bless you with presents. If you're a child of God, a born-again believer, you're already blessed. Material goods don't determine whether or not you're blessed; God does.

Get to know Him as Jehovah the Good—the God Who reveals His goodness. Second Chronicles 30:18 refers to Him as "the good Lord." Some may say the Lord is responsible for the bad things that happen to "good people." That's not true.

Psalm 145:9 says that He is good to all - believers and nonbelievers. God's blessing is a result of His goodness. He is more than willing to get involved in every area of your life. For this reason, He wants nothing more than for you to live the good life (Eph. 2:10 AMP).

The good life is where all your needs are met and you have more than enough to meet the needs of others. Like Abraham, you are blessed to be a blessing (Gen. 12:2-3).

The Christmas season can be a rough time. Loneliness and financial problems can be overwhelming for some people. But remember that Jehovah the Good is your Provider. My husband, Creflo and I remind our children of this all the time.

One of our daughters once complained about us not being a "regular" family. "Why can't we be like everybody else?" was her attitude. Creflo corrected her sternly. He let her know that God has blessed us tremendously and that He made sure that we would never want for anything.

My husband said, "Fine! If you want to be regular, then from now on, start riding the bus to school. You won't go to the salon as often, and you'll wear hand-me-down clothes!" After that encounter, her attitude changed.

I thank God that we don't live from paycheck to paycheck anymore. All of our needs are met, and we're out of debt. Our days of struggling to make ends meet are over! Thank God for the evidence of His blessing in our lives.

Many people mistakenly believe that the "blessing" refers to gifts, cars, houses, clothes, jewelry, etc. These things, however, are simply byproducts, or results of the blessing.

The blessing is "an endowment of power, resulting in prosperity and success; a sign of special favor." To put it plainly, it is God's empowerment to prosper.

You are endowed with the power that gives you an advantage over the world.
- Taffi Dollar
To endow means "to bestow, to clothe, to crown and lavish upon." On a rainy day, I equip my children with whatever is necessary to keep them dry, such as umbrellas, raincoats, etc.

Likewise, the Father has equipped you with His blessing to weatherproof you and your household from the storms of life. That doesn't mean storms won't come and try to destroy you. It means that you have what it takes to survive.

The blessing is a supernatural covering that God designed to protect and prosper you. When the devil tried to kill Creflo in a car accident, the blessing kept him alive. After that incident, I was convinced that there is no limit on what the power of God can do in a person's life in any given situation.

When creditors threaten to sue you, tap into the blessing of favor so that everything will go well for you (Prov. 3:3-4). Ask for what you want. For instance, time extensions, reduced payments, etc. Apologize for your circumstances and offer a plan to amend the problem.

Be sure not to speak negatively about your situation. For example, don't make statements like "I don't know what to do about these debts. I'll probably lose everything I own." Instead, make positive confessions based on God's Word, such as "I'm blessed and highly favored of God. No weapon formed against me can prosper because my righteousness comes from the Lord!"

The Bible says, "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich..." (Prov. 10:22). God's blessing will make you rich in health, finances and whatever else you need. You are endowed with the power that gives you an advantage over the world.

You have what it takes to own, live, eat and wear the best. That's how blessed people should live.

World Changers Ministries
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