With Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas just around the corner, many families who find themselves “blessed” are often looking for a way to help out a needy family during the holiday season. But if you’re at all like me, my motivation in a situation like this can often be selfish. I’ve given to relieve my guilt, impress others or have a “warm fuzzy” feeling. My giving can so often be about me.
As we look to God, though, we find a different economy of giving. The Apostle Paul, describing the attitude of Christ, encourages us to “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.”
If we are honest with ourselves, we are the needy ones. When sin entered the world, we were all totally effected by it, both rich and poor, black and white, young or old. Our own motivations, thoughts & actions attest to this. But thanks be to God, the Great Gift Giver, that He provides a remedy to our condition. How? By sending Christ into the world, not just leaving us a good example to follow but actually exchanging our wretchedness for Christ’s righteousness, providing the opportunity for our broken relationship with God, one another and all creation to experience redemption & restoration.
When it comes to giving, Jesus’ words cut right to the heart “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Is it ok, then, to give to those in need? YES! It’s commanded all throughout scripture. What then should our motivation be? We are givers because our Heavenly Father is a giver and we his children, the benefactors of his grace & mercy, should seek to mimic His actions.
This Christmas we invite you to give to those in need by helping provide access to affordable Christmas gifts for families in our neighborhood by donating to our annual Christmas Store. Our store will sell the donated items at rock bottom pricing, thus providing a dignified shopping experience for hard working parents. Together we can help tackle the needs of the under resourced in our neighborhood and help the neediness of our own hearts in the process.
For more details, including gift ideas, avenues to donate, and a fuller explanation of the philosophy behind the store, visit:www.strochcc.org/christmas
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