Giving Our Gifts

Advent 3

Perhaps your history with Christmas presents is similar to mine. You can probably remember waiting as a kid for Christmas Day, anxious to see what will be under the tree. The days seem to slow down more and more and begin to taunt you for being so excited. You sit in class at school watching the clock, and sometimes it seems to have stopped, or even to go backwards. I am old enough to remember practicing and performing Christmas pageants where we sang real Christmas carols and had nativity scenes, with the other kids giggling in my direction when we sang about “King David.” I was always in the choir, never the performance. I still enjoy going to stores and the mall, seeing the decorations, smelling the scented pine cones, and listening to the music, even if these days it’s just Mariah Carey and songs about Santa Claus. But I still remember what it was like as a kid, as Christmas morning finally arrived. After a sleepless night, we would try to get our parents up at 4 in morning to open presents, but they refused. Until they got tired of us pestering them. Finally you open all of your presents, and feel kind of empty. Are their any more?

After 10 or 15 such Christmases, the thrill begins to wear off, at least for me. Over the years, though, you learn how much fun it can be to buy presents for others, although that causes anxiety too. Most of us enjoy all of the other things, like Christmas music on the radio, getting together with friends and family (at least in non-Covid years), eating too many holiday treats, etc. But some people don’t. For them, the holidays bring bad memories, and they would prefer to ignore it all. For them, it is a “Blue Christmas” every year, and many of us may be feeling that way this year, too.

Last week, we talked about receiving Jesus into our hearts, the greatest gift ever given. That gift we celebrate every Christmas. But it is not a gift we are to keep to ourselves, we are meant to pass it on. That’s how God’s gifts usually work: they are given to build up the Church and advance His Kingdom, and we are to use them to do our part in sharing God’s grace and love in Christ to a world that needs Him more than ever. So today, let’s think about how we give gifts as a response to the gifts that God has given to us. This year, much of what we do during the holidays will be reduced if not done away with. The easiest way to give gifts is to buy them online, or just give gift cards. Likewise, it is easiest to give year-end donations online or send a check, although the bell-ringers are hard at work at Fred Meyer. This year may be very different, but still we ask: what gift can I give that will share God’s love to those who need it? What can I do to give back for the gifts God has given me? What is my response?

First, we follow God’s commands. That is our first response to what He has given us. We recommit ourselves to follow Jesus wherever He leads, making our hearts ready by being obedient to God’s will. We do this kind of heart work every Advent and Lent, examining ourselves and making sure our hearts are where they should be, having confessed our sins and shortcomings and allowing God’s grace to cleanse and renew us. Such heart work can be very difficult but is required for us to be right with God and ourselves. Only then can we truly acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and pledge to follow Him. As Paul writes in his Letter to the Romans:

I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2.

All that we do should be for the glory of God. We must be aligned with God’s will to do what He wants us to, preferably as active, conscious participants in His plan for our world. God also uses us when we aren’t paying attention, but certainly we will find greater satisfaction and a higher sense of purpose when we act in accordance to His will with open hearts. We live in a society that tries to distract us with ungodly things, seeking to lead us astray; but we must resist those temptations and focus on God, letting the Spirit transform our minds and teaching us the ways of God. This spiritual renewal generally is not a one-time event, we must keep coming back to Jesus and adjusting our lives to align with His will. If we give ourselves completely to God, sacrificially and surrendering to His will, isn’t that our highest form of worship, as Paul suggests? The Three Wise Men may have brought fancy gifts from the East, but the best gift we can give to Jesus is our hearts, welcoming Him in again this Advent Season, and renewing our vows to follow Him. When we give ourselves to God, surrendering to His will, we can then fully accept the tasks He gives us, and participate in His divine plan as it continues to unfold, heading towards Jesus’ return.

Second, after we have given our hearts to God, we can then fully embrace the jobs he gives us, and give to those endeavors all that we can. Mary is a good example for us here. Gabriel tells Mary that she is “favored” by God, but we aren’t told why. We don’t know if she has any special gifts or talents, but God chooses her to give birth to His Son. Sometimes we may feel the same way, thinking we are not good enough, but God calls us anyway. What we do see in Mary is complete obedience. Her response is: "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word." (Luk 1:38 NAS) How many of you would respond this way if an angel were to tell you were going to have a baby by the Spirit who would one day be the Ruler of All? Now some of us might say that getting pregnant in this particular circumstance wasn’t really a choice for Mary, it was thrust upon her and she didn’t really do anything, but there is much more to being a mother than giving birth. Certainly, Mary and Joseph played their part in Jesus’ formative years and beyond, just as we do with our kids. The years after Jesus’s birth would be very difficult for His parents, as they witnessed His life and death. We too accept what tasks God gives us, even if they are difficult and have a high cost. But we can give thanks that God provides what we need to fulfill the tasks He give us. It is our responsibility to do the best we can. As Paul writes:

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Romans 12: 6-8.

We might not always understand why God chooses us for certain tasks, but we can trust in His wisdom and that He will provide us with knowledge, encouragement, and comfort in the Spirit as we seek to be good and faithful servants. We will have disappointments and failures, we may even be persecuted and ridiculed by others, even those who claim to be Christians, but we are told over and over in Scripture to persevere to the end. In our hearts, we are told what our God-given tasks are, and we seek to follow that guidance even when others say we aren’t good enough. We keep praying that God will give us the means to complete His assignments, even when we are as unassuming as Mary or as untalented as many others we meet in Scripture. To the least of these, and to us, God provides what is needed and will complete the good work He has begun in us.

And third, we rejoice that God has considered us worthy of the gifts and tasks He has given us, and He invites us to give back generously and boldly. We seek to fulfill the tasks we are given, and even seek to go beyond what is required. God invites each of us to join in His work here on earth, and that is something that should make us truly joyful! As Jesus came to earth to fulfill His role, we came here to perform ours. With all that is going on in our world right now, don’t forget to be joyful and thankful for all that God has done for us, all that He provides, and all that He will do for us. He gives us big things to do, but also little things. Some things that take time, some that are unexpected and only last for a minute or two as we come into contact with someone the Spirit speaks to, through us. Such things may not seem big to us, but in that moment you might turn someone’s life around. Our true life’s cumulative work are the many responses we make to God’s call to be His hands to our world. We respond to His call in Christ by passing on His gift of grace through kind words and deeds. We may be limited this year by what we can do, and it may even seem impossible to do what God has called us to do right now, but we must stay faithful, and that may mean getting creative in how we serve this year.

In the early days of the Methodist Church, John Wesley assigned his people to smaller groups called bands that were in turn part of larger groups called societies. The bands met during the week for prayer and discipleship. Our first task as God’s people is to continually respond appropriately to the salvation in Christ offered to us. That is a foundational belief of the Methodist tradition. And so John Wesley wrote in his “General Rules of the United Societies”:

Here is one condition previously required in those who desire admission into these societies, ‘a desire to flee from the wrath to come, to be saved from their sins’…it is therefore expected of all who continue therein that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation. First: By doing no harm, by avoiding evil of every kind… Secondly: By doing good; by being in every kind merciful after their power; as they have opportunity, doing good of every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to all men…Thirdly: By attending upon all the ordinances of God.

For those of us who recognize Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and have committed our lives to following Him, we are required by God to respond appropriately to what has been so freely given to us. In the church, we of course respond to God’s grace all year long by giving our gifts in tithes and offerings and through acts of service to the church and our world in Christ’s name. It is part of being a disciple. As followers of Jesus, we seek to follow His example. We also do many other things in Christ’s name that are gifts to others, such as performing the particular tasks each of us are given. We give back because God first gave to us. This of course goes beyond monetary gifts, as the Spirit also gives us gifts to advance the Kingdom of God and bring comfort and guidance to His people: through gifts of service, love, teaching, and so many others, given specifically to each one of us and intended to be used for God’s people and for all of creation. We are obligated to do such things, but doing so should not be a heavy burden, but a source of joy as we gratefully give back for what has been done for us. As God first loved us, we now respond in love. As Paul writes:

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:9-13.

So during this Advent Season, as you buy your presents and wait for Christmas Day, don’t forget that the greatest gift you can give is yourself. Even during this tough time, may your heart be filled with God’s joy and love, and may you share your heart with those who need it.