Why We Give Gifts
I get excited when I watch my grandchildren open their Christmas gifts. First they tear off the bow and the ribbon. Next the wrapping paper gets thrown to the side. Finally the box flies open. Then comes the expression of joy on their face…and mine. During the holidays we focus a lot of time and energy on gifts. No matter what faith or family tradition you hold to, buying and giving gifts is usually a big part of how you celebrate. We all know how this works. And most of us really enjoy the process, especially the giving part.
There are many reasons we love to give gifts, but one of the main ones is we want to make people happy. We try to learn as much as possible about the recipient so we can choose just the right gift. When we actually give the gift something amazing happens. Seeing the joy that our gift brings completes our own experience of joy and fulfillment. The more we care about the person, the more we’re fulfilled when our gift has the impact we’ve hoped for. This whole experience proves what Jesus said is true, “It is more blessed to give than receive.” Let’s face it, we’re givers. This is one of the ways we bear a striking resemblance to our Father.
Why God is So Happy
One can only image how happy God must be. If giving gifts makes us happy, what about someone who’s always giving? I’m talking about 24×7 giving. The Psalmist wrote that God does whatever He pleases (Ps 115:3). So when God pulls out His iPhone and checks the ‘To Do List’ app on any given day there’s only one entry: ‘Whatever I please.’ Since His nature and character is love, it’s not a stretch to see why He wants to give gifts to his children. If you had no credit limit on your Visa wouldn’t you do the same thing?
James, the New Testament guy, wrote: “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” Paul, another NT marquee name, said that, “God blessed us with every spiritual blessing and chose to adopt us into his own family. Having us in the family gave Him great pleasure.” So when something good happens in your life know it came from your Father. When you receive His good gifts it makes you happy and that makes Him happy. See how this works?
People Have Gifts
When someone is really awesome at doing something we say that they’re gifted. We recognize that the person has an amazing talent for music, sports, math, fixing things or creating things. You get the idea. Where did that gift come from? I believe it came from God. It’s right that we call it a gift because there’s nothing that the person did to earn the gift. They were born with it. Clearly a person can choose to develop their gift. They can study or practice or receive training and coaching to get better. But a teacher or coach can’t work with something that isn’t there in the first place. So let’s agree that people have gifts. Okay?
A Different Drummer
We gathered in our family room with great anticipation. No holiday party would be complete without a steel drum concert and it was the highlight of the evening. Our friend, Zeev, played both Christmas and Caribbean tunes plus a special arrangement of a Beatle song. The music was beautiful. The listeners were enchanted. And Zeev was having a blast. He loves having opportunities to play because playing the steel drum is a real passion for him. It’s his gift and he loves to share it. When Zeev plays the steel drum it creates enjoyment for him and for the people who are lucky enough to hear him play.
Picasso got right when he said: “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
All I Want For Christmas
My wife loves to hear Mariah Carey sing her most famous holiday song. This powerful love song makes it clear that people are gifts.
“I don’t want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don’t care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you”
You might say: ‘Oh come on! This is just a nice, up-tempo holiday song. Let’s not read too much into it.’
Consider this. At a wedding the father of the bride walks her down the aisle to the groom. We say that the father’s role is to give his daughter away. The one who performs the ceremony says: ‘Who gives this woman to be married to this man?’ The bride is a gift to the groom and he is a gift to his bride. In one of Paul’s NT letters he says that God gives leaders to the church as gifts. These leaders have a responsibility to train and equip people to do good things and to serve where they’re needed. People ARE gifts.
Joy To The World
Before Three Dog Night did their own spin on ‘Joy To The World,’ Isaac Watts, the English hymn writer, penned the original version in the early 1700’s. The song celebrates the greatest gift the Father has ever given. This gift is a Person.
“Joy to the world! The Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare him room
And heaven and nature sing”
Most of us know the story about how God sent His Son on a rescue mission to Earth. The purpose of the mission was to fix the broken relationship between the Father and His kids (us). The human family had become dysfunctional generations earlier when people chose to reject a loving relationship with their Father because they thought their plan was better. This choice proved to be disastrous, but God can fix anything. So Jesus became the most celebrated gift ever given to the human family. If you check out any of the four Gospels in the NT you can read this powerful story of how the love and sacrifice of one Man changed the world forever. Jesus is a timeless gift for the ages. This is the best example I know where a person is a gift.
She Lives To Give
She’s the only eighty-seven-year-old I know who uses Facebook to write brief notes of encouragement and send birthday wishes. This woman is the greatest giver I know. Her capacity to express love and generosity has never been impacted by her own struggles or physical limitations. She lives to give. She receives incredible joy from giving to other people. It’s safe to say that giving to others is her life’s calling. And she’s really good at it.
When she was younger she made casseroles and meals for people and delivered them. She visited people who were sick or hospitalized. She has sent thousands of cards to people for every occasion or life event. She’s famous for including cartoons and brief notes in her cards. Most people who read this blog will never meet her. By the time her journey on Earth comes to an end, she will have impacted hundreds, and possibly, thousands of lives. Her influence on me has been incalculable.
The lady I’ve been describing is my mother, Dorothy. She has been a true mother to countless people over the years and she’s beloved by everyone who’s ever met her. Now that she’s lost much of her mobility, her generosity has morphed into other forms. She still sends cards, prays for people and reaches out via social media.
Jesus once said the greatest folks in His kingdom are the ones who serve everyone else. Why are they considered great? Because these people are the ones who most clearly reflect the Father’s heart of love and they’re living examples for the rest of us. When we express love by giving to others, we become a true reflection of the Divine.
Live, Give, Be Happy
I wanted to tell you about Dorothy because she’s a wonderful example of someone who’s incredibly happy and fulfilled. When the focus of your life is about giving away what you have, you’ll be amazed at how great you feel. Sometimes what we give away is not material stuff. Sometimes it means using your gift or talent to help someone or to simply lift their spirits or make them laugh. It could be that we choose to give ourselves as a friend. There are times when people just need someone to listen. Often, people make the best gifts. Giving is a blast. It’s part of our DNA. So in the spirit of giving, here’s the best advice I can share:
Live.
Give.
Be happy.
Copyright 2014 John H Briggs
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