Make this a Christmas of Giving

1.  Give Yourself.  God wants us, not our money.  When we surrender ourselves to the Lord, our giving will fall in line.  In the Bible, 2 Corinthians 8:5 ( AMP) says, “nor [was this gift of their merely the contribution] that we expected, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us [as His agents] by the will of God [entirely disregarding their personal interests, they gave as much as they possibly could, having put themselves at our disposal to be directed by the will of God].”  By giving, we follow Jesus, who gave everything for us.  So it is appropriate to give what we can.

2.  Remember Christ’s example.  He gave everything to enrich our lives.  The riches we have in Him are the true riches, not material wealth.  Second Corinthians 8:9 (NIV) states, “for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”  We find that giving is sharing.  It is meeting desperate needs so our brothers and sisters can live more abundant lives.

3.  Giving is like sowing.  Giving is an investment in our eternal future.  Second Corinthians 9:6 (NIV) says, “remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”  The bigger the investment, the greater the return.

     Remember to keep the right attitude as you give this Christmas.  You should not give for the wrong reasons to impress others or get notoriety for yourself.  By giving you’ll activate and release many forms of God’s blessing in your life to give even more in the future.

Here are some benefits you can receive from your giving:

*   Gain a deeper understanding of God’s grace and nature - Ephesians 2:8 (AMP) says, “for it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that your are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith.  And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is a gift of God.”   Grace is that unique gift given by God to man.  It cannot be earned by anything a person might do.