Is your heart filled with joy at the sound of Christmas or dread because your budget will see red as a result of it? Is the Christmas season what you want it to be? Do you want it to be something better?
Everyone loves Christmas! Yet there are those who dread it more than others. For so many people, Christmas time comes with the obligation of gift-giving. But is Christmas an obligation or simply a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior?
I was able to bless someone this weekend with a new garbage disposal. I bought and installed it and they were simply delighted and overjoyed because they were living without it for so long. Being elderly, their income is fixed and didn’t want to call a plumber to replace it for fear of being taken advantage of. And so it was a great way for me to bless this couple.
Because they wanted to pay for it themselves they were struggling when I paid for the disposal. So, I said it was my Christmas gift to them, thinking this would make it easier. But the response I received was: “Doesn’t this mean I have to get you a gift now?”
Too often, Christmas time not only comes with the “obligation” of gift giving, but it is comes with the “liability” of giving a gift when you receive one. What has happened to Christmas time when this is often the attitude of so many people.
A gift is something given to another person without any regard to receiving anything in return. A gift should be given in love and not out of obligation. And so is it a gift if you are giving to receive one in return?
There are lots of reasons why people feel this way, with pride being the main motivation. They want to see themselves as maybe more giving than others. And credit cards make that especially possible. Then, in January, they feel the pain of having given so much that they feel the pain throughout the year only to exclaim, “What? It’s Christmas time again!”
So what can one do? Is there any way of breaking through this attitude of obligation, reciprocity, and pride? Yes!
First, the next time you receive a gift from someone don’t reciprocate, simply thank the person. This is so hard for so many people I know. Wrestle with your pride as it fights with you to reciprocate.
Second, never give a gift if it isn’t given in love; and definitely never if it’s given with the expectation of receiving one in return. This can be hard too because your pride will want to take credit for having done so.
And as I write this I ponder the incredible gift God the Father gave us in Christ Jesus. His plan of salvation was given as a gift not expecting anything in return. And this is when I start evaluating my attitude and find myself grateful for what I have received, especially since I know there is no way I could ever reciprocate.
And isn’t it glorious when you fully comprehend what Paul said to the Ephesians when he wrote: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (My emphasis added.)
And so when we can give in this manner, with this kind of love, and with this kind of attitude then we are indeed able to give in the Christmas spirit.
Lastly, here are a few practical tips for buying gifts at Christmas time:
· Set money aside as part of your budgeting process. This is an easy area of saving (remember that savings are nothing more than future spending) but is often overlooked because of wanting to spend money in other areas of your budget.
· Spend according to what you have saved for gifts and no more.
· Consider making gifts for those you choose to bless. If your budget is limited there are lots you can do if you are creative. My brother-in-law is a master woodworker and he has made for me several beautiful pieces that I now have on display in my home and only for the cost of the wood. And these gifts mean more to me because of all of the time he put into the project than if he bought something in a store.
· Give a gift only when it can be given in love. Never give out of obligation or reciprocity.
In closing, I wish you and your family a wonderful and blessed Christmas as we rejoice in our Lord's birth.
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