Gift Giving
“God so loved the world that He gave His only son…”
Tradition has it that the wise men brought gifts for King Jesus and thus began practice of giving gifts at Christmas. Giving gifts is a large part of our Christmas tradition. We typically spend entirely too much on family and friends who already have more than they need. It seems that in our society gift giving has progressed out of control. In a world that has become so materialistic, Christians need to follow the example of gift giving set by God. What does Jesus want us to give? Does He need a new car? Or does He need a new building to inhabit? What does Jesus desire? I believe that giving is a blessing to the giver. It helps us to see exactly where our heart is and the degree of the sacrifice is equal to the degree of surrender. Sometimes we give to make us feel better. Other times we give in hopes of getting something in return. Another possible reason we give is out of guilt.
God’s model of giving is best seen in the way He gave His one and only son.
1. He gave Jesus to us freely. God gave Jesus unconditionally: that is what grace is all about. There are no strings attached. We are never forced to receive Jesus. He is ready and willing for us to receive Him or reject Him as our Lord and Savior. We are never expected to earn His gift to us. We were helpless and hopeless yet He looked beyond our situation and met us at our point of need 2000 years later.
2. God gave Jesus thoughtfully. He didn’t give Jesus arbitrarily, but He gave accordingly to what our need was: salvation. This was the plan all along. God loves us and knows that we need Jesus to overcome sin, guilt, death and hell. Lost people cannot understand the Gospel (1Cor.2:14-15), so don’t get frustrated that they do not understand.
3. God also gave sacrificially. Jesus was the best that God had. God did not have a dozen sons, He only had one. He did not wait on us to come to earth. He left heaven and all of the burden was on Him.
So when you give this year think about your motive and give as God gave to you. Are you giving freely? Are you giving thoughtfully? Are you giving sacrificially? In addition to giving to family and friends, I hope you are planning to give to those in need whether it be through your church, community project, mission organization or someone you know personally who is hurting financially. Ask for God’s guidance to show you someone like a single mother who cannot buy gifts for her children, a widow who needs something done around the house, a widower who would appreciate a meal, or a mission project.
What are your recipients’ greatest needs? They need to see our motive and attitude to be as Christ’s. Do they need a Bible? Do they need to know that God loves them? Then tell them of their greatest need. Ask yourself the following questions. Do I love this person as God loves them? Am I expecting anything in return? Am I giving something of need? Does the relationship need mending? Is your gift a sacrifice? Who is God bringing to your mind right now? Pray about their life and seek to know the mind of God concerning them.
