When Giving Lost Its Meaning: The “I” in Holidays
Share
Scripture frames gifts as deliberate acts before God—offerings, reconciliations, and honors. Modern culture converts gifts into transactions timed by man-made observances. Detach giving from conviction and it degrades into noise.
Biblical Foundation
Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which He hath given thee.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.
They presented unto Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men.
Scriptural Patterns of Giving
- Reconciliation: Jacob to Esau with livestock Genesis 32:13–21
- Diplomacy/Respect: Israel to Joseph with balm, spices, and nuts Genesis 43:11
- Honor: Saul’s coin to Samuel 1 Samuel 9:7–8
- Homage: Queen of Sheba to Solomon 1 Kings 10; 2 Chronicles 9
- Worship: The widow’s two mites Luke 21:1–4
The Engineered Calendar of Commerce
- Valentine’s Day: sentimental purchase ritual; no biblical warrant.
- Mother’s & Father’s Days: civic proclamations commercialized by florists and jewelers.
- Christmas (retail form): fiscal anchor quarter; no command for gift exchange.
- Birthdays: only Pharaoh’s and Herod’s recorded, both tied to death Genesis 40; Matthew 14
- Easter (as marketed): fertility symbols replace the Passover fulfillment.
The Cult of Anniversary
Anniversaries of every sort are monetized—weddings, deaths, promotions, products. Scripture commands remembrance only when tied to covenant or deliverance.
- Passover as redemption memorial Exodus 12:14
- Twelve stones as generational witness Joshua 4:6–7
- The Lord’s Supper as remembrance of Christ alone Luke 22:19
The Insult of the Empty Gift
Bring no more vain oblations.
The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination; how much more, when he brings it with a wicked mind.
Re-gifted, returned, or unused items reveal absence of heart. Exchange without conscience is not generosity—it is performance.
The Spoiling of the Innocent
The leech has two daughters, crying, Give, give.
He that delicately brings up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.
And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
When children receive without discernment, they learn appetite instead of gratitude. Calendar-driven gifts train consumption, not stewardship.
Restoring Integrity in Giving
- Give when prompted by conviction, not by sale season.
- Tie gifts to worship, reconciliation, or need.
- Train children to weigh effort and thankfulness before receiving.
- Favor usefulness and permanence over novelty.
- Honor God first in every act of giving Acts 20:35