“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
The season of Christmas is synonymous with gifts and giving. Children wait with eager excitement to open their gifts, placed under the Christmas tree. Many individuals, families, companies, and churches extend their benevolence to the needy during this time. Many programs during this season are focused on the distribution of food, clothes, and gifts to those who are in need.
Christmas is truly the celebration of the ‘greatest gift’ that mankind ever received. God the Father gave His only Son, Jesus, to the world, to be the sinless ‘Lamb of God,’ who would take away the sins of the whole world. The birth of Jesus was the most priceless gift God ever gave. For only through Jesus and what He did for us on the cross of Calvary, do we have forgiveness for our sins. He gave us freedom from our bondage to sin, He healed our infirmities, He won the victory over death and He has given us the hope of eternal life in heaven.
Our giving should, therefore, be an outcome of what we have already received from Jesus. The Apostle Paul taught that our giving should be done cheerfully, without compulsion (2 Corinthians 9:7). It should also be done in secret with no announcements whatsoever (Matthew 6:2). Jesus said in Matthew 26:11, that we will always have the poor with us, which is a reminder that we should look for opportunities to help those in need all through the year, and not just limit our giving to one particular season. The Bible says, “Whoever is generous to the poor, lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.” (Proverbs 19:17) (ESV). May we never forget that God has blessed us so that we can be channels of His blessing to others, for only then will God’s gift go on and on.
Dear Father, thank you for giving us the greatest gift of all in Jesus, our Saviour; may we, in turn, be examples of your generosity in this season and always. Amen.
– Esther Collins
