Christmas gifts

The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23b).

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is coming in just a few more weeks. Of course, retailers have been pushing the holiday season at us for a long time now; many stores set up their Christmas section at the same time that they start selling Halloween decorations. They have to, because much of their business depends on Christmas shopping. A recent news report said that in some cases, revenue from Christmas sales makes up 50% of a retailer’s annual profits. A season of poor holiday shopping can drive some stores right out of business.

This seems foolish to me. If our economy depends this heavily on gift giving, there is way too much money being spent on non-essentials. If the bulk of our purchases were things that we truly needed, sales figures among retailers would remain fairly consistent throughout the year. If we spent less on gifts, we would have more money to put into savings or investments, money that we could retire on, or bequeath to our children.

Americans spend way too much money on gifts. Some do it out of guilt—the father who did not get custody of the children, the mother who works long hours outside the home. They buy expensive gifts to make up for the time they aren’t spending with their children. Other people give piles of gifts out of the theory that if a few presents are good, lots of presents are even better. Their giving is motivated by love, but they don’t consider the possible harm that can come from spoiling a child.

We are starting the season of Advent, the time of year when we prepare for the arrival of Christmas. On Christmas, God gave us a present because of guilt. But God wasn’t the one who felt guilty; we are the ones who wrestle with shame. We are ashamed of our behavior; we are ashamed of the things we say; we are ashamed of the ugly cravings that dominate our thoughts. And so on Christmas, God gave us a gift—just one gift, but oh, what a gift it is! God gave His Son to the cross so that you can be forgiven. God gave His Son to the grave so that you can be raised to eternal life. God sent His beloved Son to live with us on earth, so that Jesus can take you by the hand, lift you up from your troubles, and guide you into happiness. Christmas is not about burying people under a heap of gifts; Christmas is about God’s gift of love, given to us through Christ.