Gift giving has been part of Christmas for as long as I can remember. While growing up, I remember that some years were better than others. A few times, we didn’t get much of anything except some new clothes, while other years we were able to unwrap some toys as well. One year was really good because I received a new bicycle.
The truth of the matter is that Christmas should be more about giving than receiving. It ought to make us feel more rewarded when we give gifts to others.
Instead of asking, “What did you get for Christmas?” we ought to be asking, “What were you able to give this Christmas?” That would be a major paradigm shift in our culture.
The scripture teaches us that God is our great example of giving in the spirit of Christmas — that of giving us his own Son.
John 3:16 reveals that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Maybe this downturn in the economy is trying to teach us that the season is not all about giving or receiving material things.
Maybe what the average person is really wanting is love, more quality and quantity of time and peace in all of our relationships. The last time I checked, those don’t affect the pocketbook