The Greatest Gift

"And on entering the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother. They prostrated themselves and did Him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." Matthew 2:11   Imagine you were travelling with the three kings, joyful at the prospect of seeing this special Child and buoyed in spirit by the shining star that guided your way. You would have known that His birth was heralded as the arrival of the King of the Jews. And you might have already learned that not everyone was pleased by this news. In fact, some, like King Herod, were plotting to kill Him. Even as a newborn Babe, Christ threatened unbelievers and hypocrites.   What would you have presented to Him, upon entering the manger and dropping to your knees before Him? Of all that might be imagined as appropriate gifts for the King of Kings, there is one that surpasses all else.   The greatest gift we can give to Christ is our very selves: our liberty, our memory, our understanding----indeed, our entire will. The total surrender of our being is the most splendid treasure we can give to the One Who loves us so profoundly. And when we give this precious gift to Christ, He, in turn, allows us to see clearly that, without Him, nothing we do or say can have a lasting effect on the coldhearted----on those devoted to killing the innocent. This is why we need to visit Christ frequently, to adore Him, and to renew our commitment to Him.   The culture of death is the antithesis of love, devotion, and total surrender to God. Those who advocate for evil despise truth, justice, and mercy. They despise Christ. Realizing this, we know that only through Christ can we become the instruments that breathe new life and warmth into hearts grown cold through sin.   Let us visit the manger and sing, "All glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!" A very merry Christmas to all of you, from all of us at your American Life League!