The greatest gift

Growing up, a highlight of Christmas was receiving the coveted Wish Book, the mail-order catalog published by Sears. As soon as the catalog of Christmas hopes and dreams arrived, we knew that Christmas would be here soon. My brother and I would pore over the pages, coveting all of the toys, games and sports equipment that would make our Christmas the best ever.

After a few weeks of memorizing what was on each page, the ever-selective process of "branding" began. We would go through each page and put our first initial next to the items we wanted. Our choices had to be limited and ruthlessly selective, though, because if we chose everything, then nothing would be brought.

Also, there was no room for practical jokes. I couldn't put his initial next to a pack of underwear. False branding could have resulted in an entirely voided Wish Book. That was too much of a risk to take.

Our strategy never fully worked out. There were a few things that we marked that showed up at Christmas, and a whole lot that didn't. There were even clothes under the tree! Neither of us marked those. Honestly, what a waste of space and paper to put clothes in the Wish Book.

There was always a great difference between the gifts I chose and what I received, though. What I wanted, I didn't need, but every gift I received was exactly what I needed.

God is offering a free gift that is exactly what we each need. Romans 5:16 says, "And there is a difference between God's gift and the sin of one man. After the one sin, came the judgment of 'Guilty,' but after so many sins, comes the undeserved gift of 'not guilty!'"

What I want -- what I try to satisfy myself with -- will bring my own destruction, both now and eternally.

God offers a gift that I cannot earn, a gift I cannot lose and do not deserve. God's greatest gift is to be guilt free. To remove the weight of sin and its effects of failure, brokenness and being really good at doing a whole lot of wrong. God's gift is living guiltless, to live in pure freedom.

God's Wish Book is covered with names of men and women from around the world that He is calling and waiting to place His initial on -- an initial that declares them "not guilty!" That is the greatest gift of Christmas.