Hi Everyone,
Salt and pepper.
Chicken and chips.
Shoes and socks.
Christmas and presents.
Gift-giving and Christmas go hand and hand nowadays. Can you imagine a Christmas without presents?
Maybe you’re not faced with a gift-giving onslaught, but for me, there can be work present games, the kids’ school Kris Kringle, Kris Kringle on one side of the family, Kris Kringle on the other side of the family, gifts for friends and on it goes!
Gift givers come in many shapes and sizes. You may have come across the re-gifter – making use of past unused presents. Then there is the money-conscious gifter – the one who has checked out all the sales and only purchased on the cheap. Next, the insanely organised gifter- you know who you are, sitting sipping a drink well and truly finished with the Christmas chaos, presents already wrapped and under the tree! There is also the handmade gift giver slaving over beautiful cookies, covered jars, and delightful knitted goodies. They leave the rest of us to wonder where on earth they find the time. Leaving us with the last-minute gifter those of us left in the chaos grabbing whatever is on the shelf at the midnight shop opening. I’m exhausted just thinking about it.
Giving has become such a part of our societies natural thought process that it can easily overwhelm and overtake us.
God’s Word can teach us much about giving. Firstly, we learn that every good gift comes from our perfect Father. All good gifts come from above and from God’s perfect nature. We quickly become entangled in the giving season. However, we will never find the perfect gift. The only perfect gift is the love of our wonderful Father in Heaven. Holding tightly to this truth will help us remove the stress and worry from our Christmas season and focus on what matters.
“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17
Secondly, God’s Word teaches us the mode in which we are required to give, cheerful and abundantly with joy in our hearts. All frustration, disappointment, anger, and envy needs to be removed from our hearts and replaced with the joy of the Lord for us to be cheerful givers. Asking for repentance and calling on the Holy Spirits guidance to show you who to give to is all part of the process. This Christmas season, allow God to lead your giving. Giving is a gift of the Holy Spirit and is used to produce the fruit of the Spirit. Therefore, be a cheerful giver and graceful giver and the fruit of the Spirt will flow.
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.
1 Corinthians 9:7
This Sunday is our opportunity to bring our gifts for our Christmas Mission. The ultimate gift of Christmas is to know the love of Jesus. Come with a heart full of joy, ready to be led by the Holy Spirit and to share the wonderful gift of Jesus with someone. If you have been making gifts and have some spare, please bring them this Sunday. If you would like a few gifts to give others, come along this Sunday and grab some of the extras that will be available.
As we look towards sharing the love of Christ through giving this Christmas, may we do this cheerfully, with repentant hearts and led by the Holy Spirit.
See you on Sunday.
Jane Finlayson
Ministry Trainee
043 0071 973