“Tis’ the season of giving.”

A Devotion by Joe G.

“Tis’ the season of giving.”

Matthew 6:3; John 3:16

December 16, 2022

In my devotions, I’ve often discussed giving. In addition, on any number of occasions, I’ve talked about all the giving/servant work my students did for the church and community.

On the outside, my youth group looked like they were doing and going to all sorts of fun things. That’s true; we did have a lot of fun. We had Superbowl parties yearly, went to Disney too many times to count, and had coffee at Starbucks every Sunday morning before Bible study.

It’s okay to have fun. Here’s the other side of the fun stuff the group did. They also served others. My group delivered groceries to needy families and made street eats bags for the homeless. The students also did a lot of servant work around the church and in the community, just to name a few things.

Me saying this seems contrary to the verse in the photo above, doesn’t it?

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Matthew 6:3

That’s really not the case, though. When I talk about the servant work and giving of time and talents that my students and I have done, I tell you about it as words of encouragement, not as bragging. I hope and pray that you, the reader, will reflect on my observations and think about how you can help and serve others.

******************************The Point***************************

It’s the season of giving.

In case you didn’t know, December is the season of giving. So, there’s a lot of that going around this time of year, isn’t there?

There are loads of holiday parties, both at the office and at home worldwide. Bonuses are handed out, and gifts are exchanged. Many of us give our house a makeover in December as we decorate a tree and put up lights and decorations.

Unfortunately, the real reason for our Christmas celebration seems to get lost in all of the lights, parties, shopping, and, yes, traffic.

Let me plant a few thoughts for you to ponder. First, how’s your giving to the church? Do you give to the needy, poor, and homeless, or do you only worry about parties and gifts for the family?

Let’s not forget the reason we celebrate this time of year. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be born. But, actually, it’s more than that. God GAVE His Son to the world. God sent Jesus to teach, preach, witness, perform miracles and offer eternal life. Yet, at the same time, God gave us Jesus as a living sacrifice for our sins.

When we give a gift at Christmas, we give because God gave us His Son. When we help others and give to the needy, we do so because Christ did so as the greatest servant that ever lived on this earth.

Before you spend all your time purchasing gifts and partying (It’s okay to party 😊), think about how you can follow in Christ’s footsteps by putting others first.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16