Passing the Gift On

December 26^th is Boxing Day.  This holiday is celebrated throughout the nations that were members of the former British Empire.  As one of my British friends explained to me, Boxing Day is traditionally when the wealthy shared their Christmas leftovers with their servants and the poor.  The idea was that they had been given so much that it was their duty to give to others.

In my last post I mentioned that Christmas is the celebration of God’s gift of salvation.  While that is His greatest gift, God continually gives gifts to His children regularly.  I am confident that if you are a Christian, if you sat down and wrote out all that God has blessed you with in 2019 you would be amazed.

Considering the abundant riches of blessings God has bestowed upon us, we should take up the Boxing Day attitude and give to others from the overflow.  First and foremost, if you have received the gift of salvation you should be sharing it with others.  Our lives should be living testimonies of God’s love.  People should see Christ living in you.  If God’s love shines through you, there will be natural opportunities to give an account of the joy and peace that you have.

If God has blessed you with good health, share it with others by doing things for the weak, sick, or elderly.  Offer to clean someone’s house or mow their grass.  Take someone who can’t get out easily to the store or just out for a cup of coffee.

If God has blessed you financially, share a little with those who are truly poor.  I have read, but not fact-checked, that if every Christian gave just 0.5% (1/2 of 1%) of their income to help the poor we could wipe out poverty world-wide in one year.  For a family earning $50,000 US that amounts to $5 per week.

When God blesses you spiritually, strengthen others who are struggling.

God blesses us not only that we will be blessed but so that the blessings can pass through us and bless others.  When we pass on part of what God gives us the world can experience a taste of what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the incredible ways You have blessed me.  Allow me to be a conduit for You to bless others.  Guide me on how to do this and who to share with!