"The Gift of Giving"

November 30, 2023 | By Chuck

 This is the time of year when we tend to give more thought to gifts. Christmas is just around the corner and many celebrate the holiday by giving gifts to loved ones and friends. I realize the holiday season isn’t all about the gifts. Children love presents, and we love to see their joy when they receive a gift. It may not be about the gifts, but I do believe the giving part is very important.

            An important part of gift-giving is that someone has to give. I believe gift-giving at any time of the year is incredibly special and meaningful. Most believe that gifts are special only to the recipient. I don’t see it that way. The gift is meaningful and special to the recipient and the giver. It is special to give to someone. “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

            Why or how is it more blessed to give? Because when we give, we are not thinking about ourselves. By nature, we spend a lot of time thinking about ourselves and what we want; but when we give a gift, we are thinking of someone else. The premise of following Jesus is denying ourselves and putting Him first. As Christians, we are then to put others before ourself. This is not a natural instinct. We must be intentional about putting others first, and one way we do that is gift giving.

            When you decide to give someone a gift you begin a very selfless process. You begin a search, not for you, but for the perfect gift to give. You consider questions like what does she like or what does he need? These questions are selfless and all about your process to give. Finally, we choose the gift and order it off Amazon (you know you do) and when it arrives we complete the most selfless act, the act of gift giving. It seems to me the gift giver receives as much from the gift as the recipient.

            “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4).