John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
Christmas is the season of giving. Annually, for several weeks in December, society adopts a spirit of generosity. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always last.
Giving runs counter to our nature. Most people are more interested in what they get than in what they give. Having done our annual Christmas duty, we all too quickly revert to thinking about and caring for ourselves.
Giving is very important to God. It is the essence of His nature. His love motivates Him to give and to give largely.
God’s generosity is seen in His greatest gift, His only Son, Jesus Christ. God held nothing back from us, not even His own Son. His love for us motivated Him to sacrificially give His best and His all.
Christmas is a reminder of the value of giving. Giving enlarges our spirit. It makes us bigger people.
Our commitment to giving needs to be more than a temporary, annual one-month assignment. Generous, sacrificial giving needs to become a part of our nature. It needs to be practiced on a regular basis. It is one of the ways we can let others see the Lord in and through us.
During this Christmas season, ask God to help you become a more generous person. Start practicing sacrificial giving and watch what God will do with your life.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for being so generous with us. Even though we do not deserve your gifts you still give abundantly to us. Thank you for the greatest and most sacrificial gift of all, the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ. We repent of our stinginess and relinquish our self-protective, self-focused natures to you. Grant us the grace to develop a generous heart. Help us become cheerful givers every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
