“I never know what to get her for Christmas.”
“He’s so hard to buy for!”
“I’ve looked everywhere, and I can’t find anything right.”
What to get for the man who has everything? What to wrap for the child who likes nothing? What will show the woman you love how much you care for her? What to buy for grandparents who don’t need nor want more slippers, robes, sweaters, or neck ties? It’s stressful shopping for presents. Maybe there’s a better way. What if we looked to our God for a pattern?
Briefly, we give gifts at Christmas and throughout the year because of our gift-giving Father (2 Corinthians 9:15). He gives, so we who are made in his image give too. We follow his lead on everything, including giving gifts. His gifts are generous and appropriate. He gives only good gifts, and all his gifts are profitable to the receiver (James 1:17). Our goal when giving gifts is to bestow gifts that are profitable for the recipient. What’s a profitable gift?
Profitable gifts develop the recipient, provide resources that carry into the future, and advantage more than the beneficiary.
God gave Adam a profitable gift when he gave him a wife. God gave the people a profitable gift when he gave them manna in the wilderness. God gives parents a profitable gift (albeit one that comes with some expense) when he gives them children. God gives a church a profitable gift when he gives them a pastor. God gives a profitable gift to a church when he bestows on individual members for the benefit of the whole. And the examples go on and on.
This is only a recent thought for me, and I don’t have the idea fully developed, but I think I’m headed in the right direction and want to suggest you go this way with me.
The Sears Catalog
For example, give your 16-year-old boy a .22 rifle. Yep, you read that correctly. Give your son a firearm. He will need to develop discipline in the use and care of his gun. In the future, the gun may provide him a means to put food on his family’s table. Should he, in the future, find himself in financial need, he can sell his gun for a fair price. God forbid, but should it be necessary, he will have something to protect his family from deadly violence posed by an animal or villain. As a safety measure and if he has not received training in firearm safety, hold back the ammunition and include a course in the gift.
Or how about this, God designed females to conceive and bear children. A gift of a baby doll for young girls fosters God given maternal instincts to care and nurture others. It is beautiful to see a small girl carry, dress, rock, and cuddle her baby doll. She’s developing the skills and traits God designed her to use, traits she will have occasion to use inside and outside her home, traits she can use for the benefit of others whether or not God blesses her with children of her own.
Whatever the occasion – Christmas, birthday, high school graduation – here are more ideas to develop the recipient, provide resources that carry into the future, and advantage more than the beneficiary.
For a wife, a household appliance that makes her tasks easier – ignore the buffoons who say a washing machine isn’t romantic. You make any chore easier for her, and she will know how much you love her.
For your grandchildren or nephews or nieces, annual passes to a museum, zoo, park, or cultural center serve to develop their young minds and bodies.
For grandchildren, a letter telling them something of your history from days long past. If you can include a picture from the time, with a small note on the back addressed to them, all the better.
Art sets, a camera, and models to construct reveal interests and untapped skills.
Tickets to orchestral events ignite desires to play musical instruments.
For adult sons and sons-in-law, tools and supplies needed to own and maintain a home.
For grandparents, any time shared with their grandchildren.
A “you and your friend” experience. Friends are everything to middle school and high school kids, give a gift that has them doing something you plan and doing it with a friend.
For children of all ages, cooking lessons, music instrument lessons, riding lessons, diving lessons, flying lessons…you get the idea.
For your husband, an evening out with you doing whatever you plan for the two of you to do together. I’d bet he’d even pay for it!
For your busy son and his family, a service around the house that he doesn’t have time for, has no idea how to do but would desire, for example, spring lawn fertilization.
For his family, a pastor friend took his wife and middle school / high school kids to Hawaii. How could a pastor do that? This was the gift. There were no other gifts exchanged between spouses or toward children for two years. In addition, they did not eat out or make a quick stop at Starbucks. The gift to his family benefits all of them to the present day.
These are only a few ideas. I think with time we could create a thick catalog of gift options for every person close to us if we think in terms of profitable gift giving. Use your imagination guided by God’s pattern, and see what you come up with. I’d love to hear about them.
Before you go, let me answer the big objection, “My kids would never go for that.” I suppose that’s true. What middle school boy wants to explain to his buddy who got an Xbox download that his parents gave him tickets to the Minneapolis Orchestra? But this is where parenting comes in – teach the value of profitable gifts and the character of God who only gives profitable gifts. You can do that. I believe in you!
As always, thanks for reading, and I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.