Stocking Stuffers (Friday Devotional)

 

Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar.

- Psalm 138:6

On Christmas morning, everybody’s eyes are initially drawn to the presents under the tree—the big box in the corner with the bow, the gift bags sitting neatly in a row, etc. But at some point, everyone also makes their way to the stockings, all hung by the chimney with care.

If Santa did his job, then those stockings, empty on Christmas Eve, have now been filled with all manner of small treats. Maybe it’s fun-sized bars of your favorite candy. Maybe it’s a few assorted gift cards. Maybe it’s whatever was available at the Dollar Tree on December 23. Regardless, these aren’t usually the gifts you’ve been dreaming about, nor are they the ones you’ll remember for years to come—but you’d certainly miss them if your stocking went unfilled. The presence of these little treats makes the holiday a little brighter.

Especially during this season, we often long for ways to make a big difference. We see the grand light shows, we attend the huge pageants, we read about philanthropists making multimillion-dollar donations, and anything we can do to commemorate the message of Christmas feels so small by comparison.

But it’s worth remembering that, while the Christmas story holds all the glories of heaven, it holds them in a manger bed. Jesus’ birth was celebrated by all the angels of heaven, but also by lowly shepherds. Christmas, in other words, doesn’t have to be about the big and the flashy—it’s about the humble and the sincere.

Look for ways to make a difference in this Advent season, but don’t be discouraged if your expressions of hope, peace, joy, and love seem insignificant to you. The God who sent his Son as a baby in a manger will honor your acts of faith—and for whomever you bless, your small act of kindness will make the season brighter.