Giving

It is that special time of year when most will be celebrating Christmas with parties, get-togethers and plenty of shopping. I’m not sure when it happened - but at some point in my late 30s into my 40s - my philosophy changed from, ‘What am I getting?’ to ‘What can I give?’

For some, giving is better than receiving. But for others like me, the idea that giving is the true gift came later in life. Maybe it’s from growing up dirt poor and spending early years as a child in government housing, eating groceries paid for with food stamps or from donations on church grocery days. We never had much of anything from before the age of 8 or 9 for my part. So, Christmases were sparse. I don’t say this for pity but for understanding of where I come from.

I have been a Southern Baptist since I was old enough to get shoved on a church bus so the idea of giving to others was not lost on me growing up. But where I came from, there was nothing to give so all we thought about was what we could get.

Later in life, the reason I had not learned the lesson of giving was that I was just immature and too selfish to care about other people unless they were in my immediate circle. I finally began to understand more about what giving was about, why it was the true gift and what was meant by saying that giving to others is the true gift. I wish it was a lesson I had learned earlier in life.

For this season of my life, I am focused on serving and giving whenever possible, in part because it feels amazing sharing, giving and using a talent God gave me to serve my community.

It really is an amazing gift, the gift of giving. Is there some gift God gave you? Do you use that gift to serve those around you? As Romans 12:10 says: “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Or 1 Peter 4:1011: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

This is the season of giving and God gave us the greatest gift of all in Jesus Christ. Without Jesus being made flesh and his sacrifice we would all be lost with no redemption, truly the greatest gift of all.

This is Will B. saying, Jesus is the reason for the season and giving is the best gift of all.