One of my favorite activities during the holidays is to shop on Black Friday. After eating Thanksgiving dinner, all of the women in my family open the newspapers to extract and sift through the sales circulars. We search for the best deals on the items we want to purchase for the people on our lists and then discuss our shopping strategy. Similar to how the men create a football-watching game plan, we ensure a successful shopping day by plotting and planning our routes so as to avoid long lines and traffic.

Once I secure the items on my list, I start counting down the days until Christmas. I can hardly contain my excitement at the thought of the recipients unwrapping the gifts I thoughtfully chose for them because seeing their expressions when they open them on Christmas morning fills my heart with indescribable joy.

The delight I feel when I give gifts at this time of year must be what Jesus meant when He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 NLT).

The word “blessed” in this verse comes from the Greek word makarion, which means “happy.” In essence, He is telling us there is more happiness and joy to be found when we give.

God is the ultimate giver. He gave His Son Jesus for us (John 3:16), and Jesus gave His life for us on the cross (John 19:30). This is what love does. It gives. If we want to be like Jesus, we will give. But not just during Christmas. God’s love should inspire us to give all year long.

While giving financial and physical gifts have value, I also believe Jesus is referring to all He has given us. We should give others our presence, prayers, encouraging words, forgiveness, love, grace, mercy, hope, and joy. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 8:1), and considering how much He has given us, we should be generous with others. As we look for what to give this year, may we remember that every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17) and there is no better gift than Him.

PRAYER: Lord, You are my joy. When I’m tempted to look for joy in things, happenings, and circumstances remind me my joy depends on You. Help me to identify things that try to steal my joy. May I keep Your joy, but not just keep it to myself. I want to bring Your joy to every person with whom I come into contact so they may know Your lasting joy too. In Jesus name, amen. 

JOY TO THE SOUL: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 NLT).

Rachael K. Adams is a writer, speaker, and host of The Love Offering podcast. Through her ministry, she hopes to encourage women to live faithfully and love fully. Her devotional, A Little Goes A Long Way will be released in October 2022.

She would love to connect with you on her website, Instagram, Facebook, and on her podcast released every Tuesday on all major listening platforms.