Spirit of Giving

Hebrews 13:16

“And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

Tis the season of gift giving. As a child, I can rememberer thinking, “what am I going to GET this Christmas?” Visions of a new basketball goal or the newest clothing item or that first guitar would encompass my mind on Christmas Eve. Opening that one thing that you had asked for many times in the previous months brought me so much joy.

My, how the tables turn as you become an adult. After you enter the workforce, the expectations change from what are you GETTING, to what are you GIVING? With this new responsibility comes a certain anxiety that can dampen the holiday spirit. Issues of time to shop and finances make why we give gifts seem less important.

In Hebrews 13:16 we see that God is pleased when we do good and share gifts. What intrigues me most is God isn't pleased just through the giving of the gift, but what sacrifice was made to give the gift. Sacrifice is what had to be given up to give the gift. So when we are troubled or weary about time and money spent, let’s remember that it is not how much you spend, but how much you sacrifice. It isn't the dollar amount associated with the gift, but the thought behind the gift. Take time to remember God thought enough of man to send his only son to leave heaven and come to a sinful world to take on our sin at the cross.