Saturday, December 5, 2015

The Art Of Gift Giving

I don’t know anyone who enjoys getting a gift from someone who is giving that gift out of obligation, or giving it when they have a chip on their shoulder. God is no different in this area. He desires that we give without any strings attached, with joy, as a love offering, and with pleasure and delight flowing from our hearts. He would much rather we keep our gifts to ourselves then get them handed to Him on a plate piled full of obligation, grumbling and complaining. I realize that the verses I have chosen to share with you are often used to describe how we should give monetarily to the church, but for our purposes today I want to look at them through the lens of giving to others, and I am not necessarily speaking of money. Seeing that we are fast approaching the time of year that we celebrate the ultimate example of gift giving, God sending Jesus Christ, I felt that it was only befitting that we discussed the art of gift giving. So let’s take a look at what gift giving should truly look like shall we.


“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Be Generous 
God is looking for us to be generous in our giving and I don’t necessarily think it means going out and dropping a boatload of cash either. When someone is generous, they go out of their way to bestow an abundance of kindness and concern for others.This can come in many different forms. It may be that we take a day to do yard work for an ill neighbor or we “kidnap” our best friend's children so she and her husband can go out on a date. These are both forms of generosity where money are not even in the picture. We must be willing to pour out into other’s lives in a real and true generous way. According to this verse, the more generous we are the more we can expect generosity to help us out in our times of need as well. I don’t believe this verse is telling us to be generous so that we get something in return. But when we find ourselves in times of trouble it sure goes a long way when we can turn around and see the people we have reached out to in their times of need reaching out to us in ours. Sowing generously will never be in vain. God uses this as a means to line up support when trials come our way. I truly believe that “what goes around comes around” applies quite literally in this verse.

Be Deliberate
The second key point I would like to emphasize is that we should be deliberate in our giving. “each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give” We should be proactive and plan out what it is we are going to give. We should not give because we feel obligated or because it was a spur of the moment thing. We should give because we have decided in our hearts that it is right. Giving under obligation or compulsion only makes the one receiving feel like it was forced or that no thought was put into the gift whatsoever. When we think about our most prized gift ever given to us, many of us think about those gifts that much time and effort went into. For me, the gifts I know that were given to me because someone felt obligated to do so had little to no impact on my heart. We want our gifts to impact the heart of the one on the receiving end, and the best way to do that is to spend some time planning and putting the other person first. 

Be Cheerful
The last key I want to bring out is that God loves a cheerful giver. No matter what the gift is that we plan to give we should do it with joy in our hearts. People have a way of knowing when we are giving a gift with an apathetic heart. This can often translate as a lack of love for the one on the receiving end. The opposite of this is also true, that a gift given in cheer and with a joyful spirit will in turn translate as a gift of love for the one receiving it. When we give with a cheerful heart it will not only translate to the person who is receiving the gift by bring joy to their heart, but it will also bring joy to the heart of our heavenly Father as well. Our ultimate goal in gift giving should be to bring joy to the heart of our Father and when we accomplish this, we have succeeded at the art of gift giving.
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

This verse reiterates the importance of giving in the right manner. When we give with thoughtfulness, careful planning and a joyful attitude it will come back to us with that same spirit. On the flip side of that when we give out of obligation and with a begrudging attitude we should not be surprised when others treat us the same way. What we give out will eventually make its way back to us, so why not give for the right reasons and with the right spirit. Let’s start being generous givers who overflow with the spirit of joy this holiday season.

Lord, I thank you that your word shows us how to master the art of gift giving. I thank you that you have set for us the perfect example of giving a gift by giving us your son to save us from our sins. Help us in our gift giving to be careful planners and to put others first. Help us to give for the right reasons and with the right attitude, with no strings attached to the gifts. Help us to be full of your joy as we bestow gifts this holiday season. Thank you for who you are and all you have done for us.

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