How to Make Gift Giving Easier and Bless Your Family

Sharing is caring!

How would you like to make gift giving easier?

The Christmas shopping season officially begins today, and for many of us, it brings with it an abundance of stress.

Where to shop – online, at local small businesses, or the big box stores…
When to shop – with the crowds or anywhere without crowds…
What to buy – the splurge gift or the budget-friendly one…

How do we get it all done without losing our joy?

First … start by printing the following quote and placing it where your family can see it…

“The giving of gifts is not something man invented. God started the giving spree when He gave a gift beyond words, the unspeakable gift of His Son.” ~Robert Flatt

Isn’t it awesome?! God started the giving spree!

Gift giving doesn’t have to be stressful when we remember we do it because of the amazing unspeakable gift God gave us in Jesus.

Years ago our family dramatically changed its gift giving traditions.

Really?!

You might wonder how it’s possible to get a family to change 20+ years of tradition without a major meltdown.

It was easier than you might think.

Our children were grown and our grandchildren were young; so, it was the perfect time for a change. And I’m glad we went for it because this meaningful way of gifting has been enthusiastically embraced as our new tradition.

We follow the story of the Magi—Wise Men.

The Magi came to Bethlehem with gifts to worship Jesus.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw His star as it rose, and we have come to worship Him.”

The star that they had seen in the east went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was. When the wise men saw the star, they were filled with joy. They came to the house where the child was and saw Him with His mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. They opened their gifts and gave Him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

Matthew 2:1–2,9b–11

Gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Each gift representing a significant part of our Savior’s life and ministry.

♥ Gold – a gift given to royalty. Pure gold was considered a gift of virtue and it helps us remember that Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

♥ Frankincense – a gift of costly fragrant resin used in incense. It represents the prayers of the people ascending to God. Frankincense helps us remember that Jesus our high priest intercedes for us as we pray in His precious name.

♥ Myrrh – a gift that foreshadowed Jesus’ suffering and death. It was used medicinally as an anointing oil for wounds, and an embalming oil following death. Myrrh helps us remember that Jesus sacrificially gave His life for our salvation.

So, back to our gift giving. We don’t wrap up little packages of  gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but give each person three gifts with Magi meaning:

• Gold – a gift the person has listed as their “treasure.” It doesn’t need to be costly … but something wanted and valuable to the recipient.
• Frankincense – a gift that blesses their spiritual life. This might be a new Bible, devotional book, music by their favorite Christian artist, or anything that encourages the person’s faith.
• Myrrh – a gift for the body. This can be a fragrance, lotion, clothing, or anything that soothes or comforts them physically.

There you have it!

The Gifts of the Magi giving tradition.

We love it!

Three gifts that have taken much of the stress out of our holiday preparations, changed our focus, and blessed us more than you can imagine.

Let’s pray…

A Prayer for Gift Giving to Bless Your Family

Father God, thank You for giving Your Son, Jesus, the greatest gift the world has ever received. You could insist that we face the consequences we deserve but because of Your love and by Your grace, You give us what we need most … faith, forgiveness, and deliverance.

I love Your Word and how the simplest things can teach us the beauty of who You are and all You do. Through the Magi’s gifts, You showed the world that Jesus is our greatest treasure. He is the King of kings who would give His life to save the world making it possible for us to boldly come to You with our praise, prayers, and petitions.

Thank you for Your undeserved generosity. Please help us love one another as You command. Giving gifts is a wonderfully fun way to celebrate Jesus. Please help us, help me, glorify You by focusing on gifts that honor our Savior. In His holy name, I pray. Amen.

The following quote blessed me…

“All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know Him better, love Him more surely, and serve Him more faithfully.” ~ Ignatius of Loyola

As you and I prepare to celebrate our Savior’s birth, let’s pause to read through the meanings behind each of the Magi’s gifts with our families and set our hearts and minds on Jesus, the greatest gift of all.

If you’re not ready to change your Christmas celebration, consider celebrating the Epiphany arrival of the Wise Men on January 6th with three small gifts.

I pray your Christmas preparations will be blessed and your celebration of gift giving will be filled with His peace, love, and joy!

We would love to pray for you.
You can leave your prayer requests here…

and even take a few minutes to pray over the list left by our friends.

Never Miss an Update

Leave your email address and I’ll send you a short email every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to alert you to each new devotion. Plus you’ll receive a copy of 30 Ways to Bless Your Marriage and Keep the Spark Burning

I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi” and share your thoughts in the comments below.

And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…

Thanks again for visiting! Don’t forget to check out the links below to find additional posts that will bless you…

Sharing is caring!