Advent: Rediscovering Christmas in the ChaosSample

Give Joyfully

During the third week of Advent, we focus on JOY.

However, one of the things that is meant to bring us joy at this time of year can actually rob us of our joy: gift-giving. The chaos of the mall, the stress of finding “the perfect gift,” and the financial impact of buying so many gifts at once can take a toll on us. It can make it difficult to be a “cheerful giver.”

Everyone must make up his own mind as to how much he should give. Don’t force anyone to give more than he really wants to, for cheerful givers are the ones God prizes. God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more so that there will not only be enough for your own needs but plenty left over to give JOYFULLY to others.
– 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (TLB)

The encouragement here is to give freely, knowing that God will care for your needs as you care for the needs of others. (And, quite honestly, Paul is saying not to even bother to give if you can’t do it cheerfully.) I think this applies to our Christmas gift-giving too.

I encourage you to consider how you might reframe your thinking on gift-giving so the searching, spending, or sacrificing does not rob you of your joy this holiday season. There are a few ways we can keep our giving joy-filled …

1 – Pray purposefully.

2 – Budget realistically.

3 – Think creatively.

Start by praying purposefully. Cheerful gift-giving takes a bit of planning, and this begins with prayer. Before you even start to shop, strategize, or create, ask God to give you insight as to how you might bless each person on your Christmas list. Ask for inspiration and ideation. You can also pray that every person is blessed with the incomparable gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love this Advent season!

Then, come up with a realistic budget. The passage here explicitly guides everyone to “make up his [or her] own mind as to how much he [or she] should give.” So, plan in advance. Decide what you are comfortable spending, then stick with it, so you can give cheerfully.

Finally, think creatively. One thing I have found helpful is to consider unique gifts that have deeper meaning and build greater connection, instead of items that can be bought at a store. I encourage you to contemplate how you might give a gift this year that is out-of-the-box (pun intended).

For example, maybe God has given you a special talent you can share by making personal Christmas gifts this year. Maybe you have skills and knowledge to impart. Maybe the most precious offering you can give is quality time. (Coupons for coffee dates and arrangements for other adventures can increase your joy not only on Christmas morning, but in the year ahead as you spend time investing in people you love!)

Christmas is just around the corner, so take a little bit of time in the next few days to do some gift planning. Stop and consider how you might approach giving differently this year. Let God guide you toward out-of-the-box gift ideas that will bless those you love. And when you're praying, budgeting, and creative brainstorming are done, give generously, give cheerfully, and give JOYFULLY.