December is a month of giving and receiving. It all started with God’s greatest gift of sending His only-begotten Son on that first Christmas to be our Savior and Lord. John 3:16 says it so clearly: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The Apostle John states in his first letter: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

As the Holy Spirit helps us to grow each day as the children of God, we also grow in our loving and giving, because loving and giving are two important characteristics of our God. Just like children imitate their parents, so we also are to imitate God. God delights in loving and giving. The Old and New Testaments give overwhelming evidence of this truth. Jesus taught that “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” During this season of giving and receiving, take some time to reflect on theses words of Jesus and pray for the Holy Spirit’s power to grow in the grace of giving. And may that giving be more than just selecting gifts for those you love. May that giving extend to supporting the work of the Lord through Saint John’s and other charitable organizations as you give generously of your time, abilities and financial resources to bring the love of Jesus into the lives of others.

Merry Christmas! May this Christmas be a time of joy as you reflect on the greatest gift of all—God’s only begotten Son to be your Savior. In appreciation of and in response to that best gift of all, may you also experience the truth that it really is more blessed to give than to receive.

Quick Note: Victory Sunday (also known as Pledge Sunday) will be January 30. Once again we will have the opportunity to grow in our understanding of what it means to be God’s Stewards during Bible study. It should be exciting—hope to see you there!

Saint John’s Stewardship Board promotes the development of good stewardship and giving patterns among the members of Saint John’s.