Mary Southerland shares with us, "The world would like us to believe that the success of Christmas depends upon how much we spend, how many presents we give or how many presents we receive.
Christmas is about giving, but price tags do not determine the success of our giving. Giving is not dependent on the condition of our checkbooks. Giving is dependent on the condition of our hearts.
I am so glad! Like you, we have to plan carefully what we buy and how much we spend on each gift. As a result, we have discovered some creative ways to give gifts from the heart, meaningful gifts that cost very little.
Christmas is about giving, but price tags do not determine the success of our giving. Giving is not dependent on the condition of our checkbooks. Giving is dependent on the condition of our hearts.
I am so glad! Like you, we have to plan carefully what we buy and how much we spend on each gift. As a result, we have discovered some creative ways to give gifts from the heart, meaningful gifts that cost very little.
A homemade gift
In 1 Corinthians 4:12, Paul teaches that we should 'work hard with our own hands.' This principle can easily be applied to Christmas gifts.
Giving a homemade gift represents time, thought and is a part of you. When our children were small, one of our favorite Christmas traditions was to create and deliver a homemade hot chocolate mix in decorated mason jars to our neighbors.
We placed the jars just to the left of each neighbor’s front door, rang their doorbell and ran like crazy! I am not certain who enjoyed it the most … our neighbors or us.
But every year, we were amazed by how much the neighbors enjoyed our homemade gift. (By the way, the recipe posted on my website if you want to carry on this tradition.)
Giving a homemade gift represents time, thought and is a part of you. When our children were small, one of our favorite Christmas traditions was to create and deliver a homemade hot chocolate mix in decorated mason jars to our neighbors.
We placed the jars just to the left of each neighbor’s front door, rang their doorbell and ran like crazy! I am not certain who enjoyed it the most … our neighbors or us.
But every year, we were amazed by how much the neighbors enjoyed our homemade gift. (By the way, the recipe posted on my website if you want to carry on this tradition.)
A possession gift- In Matthew 6:40, Jesus spoke about giving away the shirt and coat on our backs. Giving something we already own can be a wonderful Christmas gift if it is something of special value to us.
In other words, it is not the idea of getting rid of junk but sharing our treasure. Do not ask the question, 'What can I buy for Sally?' Ask the question, 'What do I have that would mean a lot to Sally?'
My husband is a pastor. During a message, Dan mentioned he collects old Bibles. The next Christmas, one of our church members gave him a family Bible that had been passed down through several generations of family members.
It was and still is one of Dan’s most precious possessions.
My husband is a pastor. During a message, Dan mentioned he collects old Bibles. The next Christmas, one of our church members gave him a family Bible that had been passed down through several generations of family members.
It was and still is one of Dan’s most precious possessions.
A gift of time- Time is a valuable gift, a precious commodity.
The apostle Paul wrote, “Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity” Ephesians 5:15-16, (NIV).
When we give someone 30 minutes of our time, we are giving them 30 minutes of our lives.
While Dan was in seminary, we rarely had a spare minute or extra dollar between school, jobs and babies. A close friend who knew our schedule gave us a precious gift of time.
'I have no money but wanted to give you a gift for Christmas,' he said, handing us a card. Inside was a coupon for free childcare one afternoon each week for the spring semester.
That was over twenty-five years ago, and I still remember that wonderful gift of time.
A gift of prayer- The greatest gift we can give someone is the commitment to pray for them consistently.
James writes, “Pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results” James 5:16, (NLT).
Following our traditional Christmas Eve service, an elderly lady approached Dan and said, ‘I don’t have anything to give you, Pastor. But I want you to know that I will pray for you, Mary and the kids every morning this year at 6:00 a.m..’
And she did! What a priceless gift! Every time she saw us, this sweet lady asked what we needed and how she should pray. Only Heaven knows all that God accomplished in our lives through the prayers of this godly woman.
Following our traditional Christmas Eve service, an elderly lady approached Dan and said, ‘I don’t have anything to give you, Pastor. But I want you to know that I will pray for you, Mary and the kids every morning this year at 6:00 a.m..’
And she did! What a priceless gift! Every time she saw us, this sweet lady asked what we needed and how she should pray. Only Heaven knows all that God accomplished in our lives through the prayers of this godly woman.
A gift of encouragement- As the writer of Proverbs says, encouragement is a powerful gift. “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” Proverbs 12:25, (NIV).
We assume the people in our lives know how much they mean to us. They rarely do.
This Christmas, write a letter to someone you love and appreciate, telling them how important they are to you. Be specific. A written note or letter requires time, careful thought and allows that person to read your words of encouragement again and again.
Let’s Pray
Father, teach us to celebrate Your birth in the way we give to others. Lord, I don’t want to get caught up in buying gifts that make me feel good. I want to give gifts that honor God, encourage others and point them to the real reason for this season – Jesus. Be glorified in every gift I give this year.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving—large or small—it will be used to measure what is given back to you Luke 6:38 (NLT).
by Mary Southerland December 13, 2011 on Crosswalk.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com
Portions are taken for this post: (Bold print and cursive lettering is my emphasis)
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