December 4: Christmas Givers

There are only a handful of verses that list what God loves. He loves people. We know that much. Thank you, John 3:16. But why would Paul, in his letter to the church at Corinth, mention that God loves a cheerful giver?
 I know that I am a Christmas giver. I buy and wrap gifts for others in December, and I am a Christian. But do I qualify as a cheerful giver? 2 Corinthians 9 is a good read. We will look at some other verses in this chapter over the next few days, because I believe that these verses are the heart of the season. Oh no, this chapter doesn't detail the birth of the Savior? No, not exactly. We aren't quite there yet. That nativity story is still a few weeks away. I am referring to the part of this holiday in which believers and non believers both participate.

I refer, of course, to the giving of gifts.

Giving gifts isn't reserved as a Christian activity and is not necessarily a cheerful activity, but it is a Christmas activity. Giving gifts, receiving gifts, who for, how much, and when: these details are all on our minds. We can easily connect with others, even pre-Christians, on this topic. We know how to pray for those stressed out people shopping with us in stores.

We can pray: May God's love pour over us all as we cheerfully give.

As the lines get longer and traffic gets heavier, you can pray this for strangers, for yourself and for those who are out shopping for the gifts that you will receive.