The Stories of Christmas | The Gift of Giving

In everything I have shown you that, by working hard, we must help the weak. In this way we remember the Lord Jesus' words: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'

Acts 20:35 (CEB)

In Acts 20:35, Paul is saying goodbye to the elders from Ephesus. He knows he'll probably never see them again. So he's giving them final instructions, reminding them of what he taught and how he lived.

And one of the things Paul emphasizes is that he worked hard to support himself so he could help those in need. He didn't take advantage of people. He didn't ask for handouts. Instead, he gave generously of his time, his resources, his life.

Why? Because he remembered Jesus' words: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

This statement from Jesus isn't recorded in any of the Gospels, but the early church clearly knew it and passed it down. And it's a statement that runs completely counter to our natural instincts. Because let's be honest, receiving feels pretty good. Getting what we want is satisfying. Opening gifts is fun. But Jesus says it’s more blessed to give than to receive.

But that doesn’t seem to make much sense. In the world's math, more stuff equals more happiness. Get more, have more, be happier. It makes sense, right? But in God's math, it's backwards. Give more, have less, be happier.

And if we're honest, that doesn't compute. How can giving away what we have make us happier than keeping it?

But here's what I've discovered: Jesus was right. Giving really does bring more joy than receiving.  Not because receiving isn't enjoyable. But because giving connects us to something bigger than ourselves. When we give, we participate in God's work. We get to be part of blessing someone else. We experience the joy of making a difference.

And that joy runs deeper and lasts longer than the temporary satisfaction of getting something for ourselves.

When we give sacrificially, we loosen money's grip on our hearts. We discover that we don't need as much as we thought we did. We learn to trust God in deeper ways. We become less selfish and more compassionate.

Generosity makes us more like Jesus. And becoming more like Jesus makes us more fully human, more fully alive, more fully the people God created us to be.

That's why it's more blessed to give. Not because giving is an obligation we have to fulfill. But because giving is an opportunity to experience the joy God designed us for.

So here's the question: What would it look like for you to give in a way that's actually more blessed than receiving?

Maybe it's giving financially to someone in need. Maybe it's giving your time to serve somewhere. Maybe it's giving your attention to someone who needs to be heard. Maybe it's giving up something you want so someone else can have what they need.

Whatever it is, the key is to give in a way that costs you something. Because that's when you discover what Jesus was talking about. That's when you experience the joy that comes from generosity. Not the temporary pleasure of getting something new. But the deep, lasting joy of giving something away.

Because what matters in life isn't what you get. It's what you give. What matters in life isn't what you get. It's what you give.

Prayer

Jesus, you said it's more blessed to give than to receive, but I'll be honest—sometimes I don't believe that. Sometimes getting feels really good, and giving feels like loss. Change my perspective. Help me to experience the joy that comes from generosity. Show me opportunities to give sacrificially this week. And help me to discover that you were right all along—giving really is more blessed than receiving. Teach me to find my joy in blessing others rather than in accumulating more for myself. Amen.