The "High Five Gifts" of Christmas for Your New Year

One thing I like about Christmas is that it comes right before the New Year. It helps me end the year with a positive note--no matter how hard the year had been—and enter the New Year with hope. I know for some people, this Christmas might not be a happy one, especially for those who have lost their loved ones. Still, the true message of Christmas can lift our spirit, melt our sorrows away, and fill our hearts with hope for a better New Year.

When we were young, the primary reason of joy at Christmas time is the gifts we received. Our expectation of gifts becomes bigger as we grow older. Maybe men are weaker on this aspect, as I heard women say, “the difference between a boy and a man is the price of his toys.” Hopefully, sooner or later, we all become mature enough to look for gifts beyond material things.

As I grow older, I long more for the invisible gifts of Christmas, than the physical ones. (That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate your physical gifts!) I am sure you would feel the same as you become older and more mature.

In fact, we all receive five most precious presents of life from Christmas. However, I’ve discovered that many people just have never unwrapped all of these five gifts. A gift that is not unwrapped is equal to not receiving it. If you want to make the most out of Christmas for a great New Year, you need to unwrap these five most invaluable gifts, that I call the High Five Gifts. I will explain why I call them High Five Gifts rather than Top Five Gifts.

But, first, these are what you need to do to get the most out of your upcoming year:

1 – Unwrap the Gift of God’s Presence

The Presence of God is where happiness is, as King David said, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Ps. 16:11b ESV) Ah, what a beautiful place to be! Jesus’ name is Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” His birth brought the gift of God’s presence. The consciousness of God's presence is invaluable. Meditating on his life stories brings you the fullness of joy and everlasting pleasure that nothing can compare. Even King David, with all his royal luxury, couldn’t match what he possessed with the joy of the presence of God. No success or achievement in our lives can bring the pleasure equal to God’s presence. So unwrap it this year by raising your level of consciousness to God’s presence!

2 – Unwrap the Gift of God’s Peace

Jesus’ nick name is The Prince of Peace. You know that our world is hungry for peace. When we were young, we think peace will happen one day, but as we grow older, we found peace is still staying at a far distance. Bertrand Russell was a peace activist and one of the most brilliant minds of the twentieth century. He was a well-known atheist and one of his famous essays was “Why I am not a Christian.” When he was on his deathbed, he asked his wife (his third one) to hold him and said, “I’ve been a peace activist all my life, but I’ve never found peace except in your arms.” It sounds very sweet, but it tells us that this great mind of the time has missed unwrapping the gift of peace and looked for peace elsewhere with his own effort. Don’t make the same mistake. Stop looking for peace on this earth where it cannot be found. Instead, unwrap the peace that is already given you. How? Read the New Testament with the purpose of raising your level of consciousness to God’s peace.

3 – Unwrap the Gift of God’s Power

Have you ever found yourself powerless in certain things you want to do or change? We all can use a little more power to achieve our dreams. We are like the smartphones that we use today, always power thirsty—always running out of juice! We need to charge them almost daily. At Christmas, God displayed his power over nature. “For nothing will be impossible with God” was Angel Gabriel’s word to Mary, when he came to announce the miracle. (Luke 1:37) This power is a gift for you now. If you can tap into God’s power through constant consciousness to God’s presence, it will be like having a smartphone permanently plugged in to the power source and you will have unlimited power supply for your life. How to tap into this power? Spend a few minutes daily feasting on the teaching of Jesus Christ.

4 – Unwrap the Gift of God’s Promise

We live in a fallen world—Buddhism calls it “a sea of suffering.” In addition to God’s presence, peace, and power, we also need hope to cope with this life. God’s promises are our hope because nothing else can guarantee fulfillment. The coming of Jesus is the fulfillment of the past promises of God, which assures us that the other promises will be fulfilled in the future. One important promise, that you need to unwrap at times like this, is that God not only gives you the power to swim through this sea of suffering, God also guarantees you that you will overcome this life triumphantly. The Apostle Paul wrote, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil 1:6) There are over three thousands promises in the Bible. Memorize them and your heart will be heighten to a higher conscious level and your life will be filled with hope.

5 – Unwrap the Gift of God’s Purpose

One of the most important questions to answer in life is, “What is my purpose of life?” The problem is we tend to find the answer everywhere except at the right place. Let’s say, if you want to know the purpose of an electronic device that you know nothing about, would you want to check out its manual, or better yet, consult the maker of it? The best place to find your life purpose is from your Maker. Your Maker has given you a user manual called the Bible. If you want a personal demonstration, Jesus’ life on earth has shown us a perfect demonstration of how to live a significant life. If you don’t want to waste your life, spend some time daily to unwrap your life purpose by reading the Manual and reviewing Jesus’ personal examples.

Don’t waste another year being pushed about by the waves of this sea of suffering. Don’t waste another year living in the unconsciousness. Take control of your life by unwrapping these five promises of Christmas. I call it the High Five Gifts so that whenever you see your five figures, I would like you to remember these five promises. They will accompany you to build a significant life. Jesus is always ready to give you a High Five, waiting for you to respond.

So let’s start this New Year responding Jesus’ High Five, and give your family and friends a High Five with a new meaning. Remember, your High Five from now on represents God’s Presence, God’s Peace, God’s Power, God’s Promise, and God’s Purpose.

Happy New Year!