Each of the visitors to Jesus at His birth brought gifts, and this remains the reason behind our tradition of giving gifts at this time of year. The shepherds brought lambs; the wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. It’s good to give gifts and money to serve others, but there are also many different ways of giving to explore at this time of year.
We might choose to give our time to something – like preparing food parcels at the Salvation Army (this will be done locally on Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th December in the mornings) or visiting an elderly friend or relative, serving as a volunteer in a charity shop or helping in a soup kitchen.
We might choose to give our money to something – a charity like Shelter or Prison Fellowship, for example.
We might choose to give our talents to something – helping to bake for someone or wrap presents for a neighbour whose arthritis means they are unable to do this task anymore or clean for someone who is struggling to keep on top of things.
We might choose to give gifts to someone – the Shoebox Christmas appeal is one such charity, but it doesn’t take much imagination to see how we can bless people, even with small gifts like a bunch of flowers or a box of chocolates.
Practical help is not a substitute for the Gospel; it is the Gospel lived out, a Gospel which is good news for every individual.
