Christmas Giving

Christmas in North America is a special time of giving. All the stores are advertising Christmas deals that you "can't miss."  We give so much that the average Canadian spends $800 on Christmas gifts. I know I have given gifts to my boys that I thought they really wanted, and that I believed would also enrich their lives. A month or two later they were forgotten. The money was wasted – in so many ways.

Christ taught that it is more blessed to give than receive, so what is wrong with our gift-giving traditions? We are giving to the wrong people! We spend hundreds of dollars giving gifts to people who are already among the richest in the entire world! We are so concerned with the treasures of this world, which are here today and gone tomorrow. The Bible's message is so different!

He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done. (Pr 19:17)

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1Ti 6:17-19)

Don't try to ignore this passage by saying you are not “rich.” If you are reading this, that means you have education and access to a computer. That already makes you wealthier than most of the people in this world. You are rich. If you have a house over your head and a full stomach, you are richer than the millions that will go to bed hungry in a shelter that doesn't keep out the elements.We are to be rich in good deeds (are you too busy to consider the poor this season?).  We are to be generous and willing to share. I don't think Paul means just passing around the wealth from one wealthy person to another. When we live of life characterized by giving generously to those in need, we lay up treasure in heaven.

This is a live chart of statistics available at http://www.stopthehunger.com/

7,081,262,322	current total world population
905901347	undernourished people in the world right now
1,566,326,767	overweight people in the world right now
522,108,923	obese people in the world right now
17,182	people who died of hunger today
10,096,900	people who died of hunger this year

We like to live like the proverbial ostrich with our heads in the sand. I challenge you to look around you this Christmas season and see beyond your traditions and your materialism and take a look at what Jesus really meant by giving. Jesus quoted from Isaiah 61 when He stated why He had come.

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. (Lk 4:18-19)

It is a disgrace to Christ that those of us who claim the name Christian should spend so much on ourselves, and leave the needs of the poor completely unmet! Do we spend more on our Christmas gifts than on the priorities of Jesus? How much do we spend on reaching the lost? There are over a billion people who have never even heard the name of Jesus one time, and we celebrate His birth in gluttony and materialism.

Please watch this video from Gospel for Asia that puts things into perspective.

Forgotten Christmas

Dear Father,

As I put this study together, I am appalled at my own misplaced priorities. For many years I have been among the North American poor, yet I have always had food and shelter. I would try to give my children as many gifts as I could – usually from second-hand stores, but I had bought into the lie that they needed “things” to be happy. Please forgive me, Father. Please help me to adopt your priorities this Christmas season. Please help those who read this blog post to re-evaluate their own traditions and priorities. As your ambassadors, we have mismanaged your resources. Please forgive us. Please show us what specific needs You want each one of us to focus on this Christmas season. Please give us hearts that seek to build up treasures in heaven rather than building our own kingdoms here on earth. May Your name be praised in our words and our actions this Christmas season.

Amen.