It’s interesting, isn’t it, that we make a ceremony of preparing for Christmas before the turkey has finished cooling? We have one day set aside to thank the Lord for every good and perfect gift, and then we immediately turn to a holiday that for many people is about receiving gifts.
My reaction is to get rid of the gift giving, in some form or another. Simplify! Reduce! Homemade! Tell the grandparents to restrain themselves! After all, aren’t the gifts the source of the problem? I see the selfishness of my children like never before, so not giving gifts should solve the problem, shouldn’t it?
Before telling the grandparents not to give any gifts this year, It might help me to consider whether God gives gifts to selfish children. Yes, he does.
God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
And we also know that external circumstances don’t create the selfishness. It was there to begin with, and the gift frenzy simply brings it out.
So, will I give gifts to selfish children? Yes. They must be taught to receive gifts unselfishly.
I want to teach them to be givers, but I also want to teach them about receiving God’s good gifts. That’s what our breakfast conversation was about today. We’ll talk about it tomorrow for Wisdom Wednesday.
Michelle,
Good thoughts!
Jay