Reflections on Christmas, January 1, 2012; Daily Devotional #6 - “Spirit of Giving”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you. (Deuteronomy 16:17) As Christ followers, we can all agree the most important aspect of the Christmas holiday is celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Still we all know that the moment the table is cleared after Thanksgiving dinner (and these days, even well BEFORE turkey day arrives) we are bombarded with ads and commercials telling us the things we need to get for our loved ones. It is easy as the season grows close to become jaded and become frustrated with the busy malls and shrinking budgets. Before we get to this state we should look inward and make sure we are giving from our hearts and not because we want something in return, or out of a sense of obligation. Are we celebrating the birth of our Savior, or just a huge gift-giving party?
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): As a child, I loved waking up to gifts Christmas morning. But as I have gotten older the gift exchange process has become more and more tedious. There have been many times when I would just love to remove gift exchanging from my Christmas experience. I often remind myself that the concept of giving is a core concept of my faith. The Bible talks about giving early in the Old Testament. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. (Deuteronomy 15:10) The Word often reiterates that it is the attitude we have in giving that is important. When we give our gifts, they should be given from our hearts and not so that we can cross an item off a wish list. This is stated again in Chronicles: The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly. (1 Chronicles 29:9) Paul also spoke on the importance of giving from the heart. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7) I find that when I focus on “how” I should give rather than “what” I should give, things fall in place without all the hustle and worries.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Choosing the right gifts for our loved ones can be stressful at times, but remember, the idea of giving came from God Himself. What better way to celebrate the birth of our Savior than to honor this concept central to His ministry. We should not focus on getting the hottest or coolest gift, but giving the gift from a cheerful heart. And the best gift of all that we can share with others is the gift that Jesus came to give: eternal life with Him.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Matthew 6:2-4; Mark 12:41-44
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All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.