—A Message from Jesus

I came to Earth because I love you. I gave up everything I had—all the power, glory, and splendor of Heaven—to come and make the precious treasures of salvation and eternal life available to you. I had the whole universe in My possession, but I was incomplete without giving you My love and receiving your love. By choosing to come and live and die for you, I knew I could look forward to the most precious of all gifts—your love.

Long, long ago, on that first Christmas, I started an eternal chain of love, which I am depending on you to continue. My gift of salvation is for anyone who will receive it, and I long for every soul on Earth to come to know Me and My love for them. Yet I have chosen to work through other human souls. My message has always been and will always be passed on through the mouths and hands and feet and deeds of those who have chosen to be My friends and followers.

Throughout the ages, hundreds of thousands of My followers have given of themselves to continue this chain of love. Some have given little, some have given much, and some have given all. Yet all gave something, as much as they would, as much as I led them to, and as much as they had the faith and desire to in order to continue this chain of love. Some spread My message to thousands or millions. Some taught the truth to just one or two. But all were a part, all were needed, and My great worldwide chain of love would not have been complete without each one playing a part.

Give Me. Give My Words. Give of yourself. Give the touch of My Spirit to everyone you possibly can. Above all, give love.

There have been times when I looked back and thought about how things might have been had I not chosen to come and live and die as one of you, but never once have I looked back with regret or wished I had done anything differently. Even that first night, when I was born in that lowly manger, when the angels sang and the Christmas star beamed its message across the sky, I knew beyond any doubt that it was going to be worth it all.

Winning your love was worth sacrificing everything else. My Father and I could have created you to automatically love Me, or to be sinless and perfect so you would be guaranteed a place in Heaven. Yet I knew the deep truth all along that love that is forced and not freely given is no love at all.

Love is all about giving. Giving is not merely an act of love; it is the essence of love. There is no true love without giving. There is no true love without sacrifice. This is what I taught you on the day I came down from Heaven. This is the true spirit of Christmas—giving, caring, sharing.

Giving always costs, but giving is always richly rewarded. Those who sacrificially give of themselves find the greatest fulfillment—here and now, and in the heavenly realm beyond.

Time to reflect

This Christmas season I want you to think about giving. I want you to remember what I gave you by coming down to Earth, and what I have given to you personally since then—the little things and the big things, the prayers I have answered and the blessings I have bestowed. Take some time to reflect on your life from the perspective of all that you have received from Me.

Now think about what you have given to others. Think of the times you put the happiness and welfare of another before your own. Think of the times you sacrificed and the times you reached out to another, even when it was difficult.

...never once have I looked back with regret or wished I had done anything differently.

Then think of the rewards I gave you. You may not have always realized how you were rewarded, because the connection isn’t always clear. But I think you will see that in each instance your giving was rewarded in some way sooner or later, because I always reward giving.

Now think about the future. Think about My promises to you that haven’t yet been fulfilled. You can look forward to their fulfillment with joyful anticipation, knowing that I love to give even more than you love to receive.

Now think about what you will give to others this coming year. Pray about who needs something that is within your power to give. Think of the positive, beautiful, wonderful effects that will come about, not only in the lives of those you give to, but in your own life. Think of how I will smile with joy when I see you doing your part to strengthen the great chain of love.

I don’t want My chain of love to simply exist; I want it to grow longer and stronger. I want it to encompass the whole Earth! I want everyone to have a chance to be part of it. I want My Spirit of love to touch every life.

So give, My child, and it will be given to you. Give Me. Give My Words. Give of yourself. Give the touch of My Spirit to everyone you possibly can. Above all, give love.