As the Christmas season draws near, every retailer is busy with their marketing and promotion activities. Stocks are carefully planned; creative advertisements are splashed out in various media. Christmas carols filled the air and shopping floors are decked with colourful decorations. All these are done to draw in the crowd and to entice/encourage the shoppers to part with their wallets. The sales pitch is that you, as a giver, will spread joy and happiness to the receiver with your gifts.
While there are many errors in the way the world celebrate Christmas, I do think the concept of giving spot on. Truly, on that blessed day, God showed His Love to us by Giving us His Son. Born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, Jesus Christ would grow up and give His Life to die on the cross to pay the penalty of sin on our behalf.
As we spend time and money to buy gifts to our friends and loved ones, I would encourage us to go one step further. We should also give them the Good News and introduce to them the Greatest Giver and praying that they will receive the Perfect Gift of Salvation.
I would also like us to consider expanding our act of giving to include the missionaries and full time workers. Some missionaries may be planning Christmas programs for the communities in their mission fields. They could also supporting orphanages or full-time workers or seminary students. Our little monetary gifts would go a long way to help them during the Christmas season. What a beautiful way of worshipping God when we use His gifts to help His workers.
To God be the Glory.
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