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With all the gifts and donations sought after, and given, during the holidays, our finances can quickly become out of control. But a little bit of prayerful planning will make better use of all our resources and re-align our focus on God’s priorities.
First things first... before you break out the calculator and spreadsheets, pause and pray. In any area of life, a good motto to have is to make no decision without prayer. And that is really important when you’re talking about your finances with both donations and gifts.
Now is a good time to ask ourselves: What do we have that we did not receive? The answer is: absolutely nothing! Generosity comes in many forms: our time, service to others, and monetary donations. When planning your holiday budget, consider Deuteronomy 8:18. There we are told that it is the Lord your God who gives you power to get wealth. And the apostle James reminds us that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights (James 1:17).
The fact is, if you love God, your love and gratitude for Him will spill over into your giving to others. It’s an outworking of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew that where your treasure is, there is your heart also (Matthew 6:19-21). Make the words of Jesus your prayer, and an attitude of your heart: freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8). And remember, even if we are giving to others or to a church, we’re also giving to God as an act of worship. Another issue is not how much we give, but our heart attitude when we give. Proverbs 11:25 states, “The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.”
Ask God to help you become a generous soul as you give both material and non-material blessings during this holiday season. Remember you can give of yourself. Your presence alone can be a source of comfort. By God’s blessing, I’ve grown to enjoy giving. A simple way that helped me is by regularly asking God, “Who can I give to that is in need? How can I bless others with the blessings You’ve given me, especially during this season?” Financial giving was part of the answer, but my giving went beyond money. It touched every part of my soul and possessions. You and I have groceries in our cupboards, clothes someone else could wear, baby items a mother may need, encouraging books to edify others. By God’s grace and transforming power, He can give us open and generous hearts to meet the needs of those around us, and serve and bless others this Christmas season.
Lord, help me to give generously of my time and resources during the holiday season. Thank you for blessing me abundantly with all that I need. Amen.
ThisChristmas and Advent Gift Tags printable features festive gift tags for the holiday season:
How can I bless others during this holiday season?
The generous soul will be made rich.
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Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
Hannah appears in the Bible during the last days of the judges of Israel when “there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).
How did men and women in the Bible accomplish great things for God? There wasn’t any secret formula or bestselling book on success for them. In fact, they were ordinary people like you and me. What made them effective was their willingness to obey God—one decision at a time.