Buckle up—ready, set, go! Here come the “giving” holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Along with these special days comes a lot of excitement, careful budgeting, and perhaps a little stress. It is wonderful to pause (after the turkey dinner preparations, of course!) with family or friends and recount the past year’s blessings, recognizing how good the Lord is to us even through difficult days.
Everyone can give thanks. If you are alive and breathing, give thanks. The psalmist declared, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord” (Psalm 92:1). The Word of God frequently encourages us to be grateful. Jesus commended the one leper who, out of the ten healed, returned to express his thanks. I wonder how often the Lord waits for us to say thank you when He sends us blessings. Thanksgiving comes once a year, but we should practice gratitude every day. We should give thanks not only to God but also to the people who bless our lives with encouraging words and acts of kindness.
Christmas is also a “giving” holiday. During this season, we honor Almighty God for coming to earth in human form to offer salvation to all who obey His plan. In response to His immense sacrifice, we strive to give what we can—our lives, time, and money.
When does a human being start giving? At what age do we “expect” a child to give sacrificially? Perhaps it begins with a personal encounter with God. For seven-year-old Josiah, the call to give by faith came during a 2024 Mothers Memorial service. After hearing the presentation, he felt a connection to the need and, without his parents’ knowledge, filled out a commitment card, pledging one hundred dollars. When his four-year-old sister found out, she also decided to commit twenty dollars.
This marked the beginning of their several-week journey to earn the money and fulfill their commitment. There were lemonade and cookie sales. Josiah planted a garden. He harvested and sold his radishes for twenty-five cents each. He decided he could make money selling his toys, so many found a new home. When the sales were tallied, Josiah and Chloe contributed just over one hundred and thirty dollars to the Mothers Memorial offering!
We are all receivers. I Corinthians 4:7 teaches that everything we have is a gift. A newborn baby is the ultimate receiver, depending entirely on others for care. However, even a newborn eventually learns to give—through smiles, sloppy kisses, hugs, and cuddles. Love gives, and the greater the love, the greater the giving. Maturity means moving from taking to giving.
We emulate the heart of God when we give. He loved so deeply that He gave. God promises us blessings—open “windows of heaven”—in response to our generosity (Malachi 3:10). The apostle Paul wrote about the grace of giving (II Corinthians 8:7-15). He praised the Corinthians for excelling in faith, speech, knowledge, enthusiasm, and love. Yet he expressed his desire that they would also excel in the gracious act of giving.
Giving can be a passion. It can become radical. It can even start in the heart of a seven-year-old boy and inspire his little sister. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Who can give? Everyone can give. Happy “giving” holidays!
