As Christmas draws near, our thoughts turn to what we can buy for all the people on our gift list. Instead of adding the fifth box of dusting powder to Grandma’s collection or tie No. 17 to Uncle Phil’s closet, why not give gifts as a response to the gift of love we’ve received from our Savior?
One way to do this is to first make a gift to God of ourselves. We should honor Christ’s birthday by recommitting ourselves to Him as willing vessels of service. In Romans 12:1, Paul reminds believers “ … to present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice.”
Part of that is spending wisely and avoiding credit debt when buying Christmas presents. This demonstrates God-honoring money management (see story, this page).
The following are some gift ideas that will honor God as well as save your wallet.
4Give gifts that point others to Jesus. These include Bibles, Bible covers, Christian T-shirts or ties, videos or music CDs, Bible study aids, devotional books or Christian fiction books, as well as subscriptions to publications like The Alabama Baptist, Home Life, Mature Living or Christian Single. The best places to find deals on these items include the Internet and Christian bookstores.
Look for the clearance sections on Web sites such as www.LifeWay.com, www.ChristianBook.com, www.eBay.com and www.Half.com.
You should also check the deepest, darkest recesses of bookstores for those often well-hidden sale and clearance goodies. A smart move is to ask, “Do you have any items on clearance?” The worst thing they can tell you is “No.”
4Give gifts to others that also support missions.
The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering supports missionaries worldwide serving through the International Mission Board. A gift to the offering in honor or memory of someone is a great way to personalize a gift that will help others come to Christ.
The unusual gifts of the nonprofit ministry WorldCrafts are handcrafted in more than 30 areas around the world. A ministry of national Woman’s Missionary Union, sales of WorldCrafts provide livelihoods for more than 1,600 men and women worldwide living in places of absolute poverty. These crafts can be found online at www.WorldCraftsVillage.com, or call 1-800-968-7301 for information.
4Give the gift of your time. If you really want to spring for something extravagant, then spend your time — it’s unquestionably the hardest commodity to come by these days. Instead of hurriedly tearing through stacks of gifts at this year’s holiday gathering, why not forego the presents and use the day to enjoy being with the people that mean the most to you? Be the first to make this suggestion — it will likely be greeted with enthusiastic approval.
You can also give commitments of time to help someone with shopping or other errands. Whip up some handwritten or computer-generated gift certificates for yard work, housecleaning, pet care or a variety of around-the-house chores.
4Give as a group with a missions project. Whether your typical assembly is friends, family or a blend, discuss and decide on a missions project that all of you can share in. Reserve a time and date to serve a meal at a homeless shelter, or go as a group and sing Christmas carols at a nursing home or other health care facility.
4Give to those you love by giving to others. Louisiana, Mississippi and other coastal regions in the United States have seen horrific destruction from hurricanes during the 2005 hurricane season. All around the world, tsunamis, earthquakes, famines and other catastrophes have governmental agencies and private aid groups overwhelmed with pleas for assistance — what better places to show the love of Jesus Christ than through financial contributions and active participation?
The Web site for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, www.alsbom.org, has information on making monetary donations to disaster relief efforts, 100 percent of which goes directly to disaster relief. That site and the North American Mission Board’s site, www.namb.net, both have information on short-term and long-term local, national and international missions projects for individuals or groups.
Editor’s Note — Judy Bates is an author and speaker on the concept of Bargainomics — a style of economics she describes as dedicated to allowing God to control spending. She is a regular columnist for Baptist Press and a member of Gardendale’s First Baptist Church.
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