Where is Your Heart – Giving or Getting?
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son . . .” (John 3:16)
When you think of Christmas, do you think like a child? Most children focus on what they want to get for Christmas—what’s the latest toy or the cutest doll or the softest stuffed animal. Maybe even the latest style of boots! But as we mature, we begin to focus more on what we want to give rather than what we want to receive.
I know many times I’ve looked around as we opened our gifts and saw that I had several packages to open up. I was kind of surprised by that—I had been so focused on what I was giving someone else that I hadn’t really thought about what I might get that day.
This heart attitude should be true of Christians. As we grow and mature as believers, we shouldn’t be so focused on what we can get from our Savior, but on what we can give to Him. True, we want to always be aware of the gift of salvation that we have received, but instead of continuing to demand more and more from God, we should be focused on what we can give to Him—our love, our honor, our service, our praise, and thankfulness. Instead of always only “asking” like spoiled children, let’s focus on giving back to Him who gave His life for us.
Ephesians 4:14-15 – “… that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” (NKJV)
Ruth Grimm, Director of Publications
