Halloween is a distant memory, but consider what a strange holiday it really is. Everyone dresses up in costumes, grabs a bag, and walks up to random houses demanding candy (in a polite tone, of course). It seems normal to us because it’s all we’ve ever known.

One thing I notice on Halloween is that one of my children is incredibly generous, almost in an alien, “What did you do with my child?” kind-of-a-way. After spending roughly an hour collecting candy, as soon as we return home he wants to hand it out to others! We’ve told him over and over that we have plenty of candy to hand out, but he won’t have any of it.

Though he has no idea this is the case, his actions demonstrate the concept of being blessed to be a blessing. Genesis 12:2 says, "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.”

Pastor Cody challenged us several weeks ago to be generous this Christmas season. He mentioned paying for the drink of the person behind us in line. He suggested sacrificing a weekly treat and giving that money to our church’s building fund. He asked us to reflect on all we’ve have been given and determine whether we consider it ours, or God’s.

We should be generous year-round. But since it is the season of giving, how much more should we express our gratitude to the One who came to bring light into our darkness? Consider how you can give out of the overflow of your blessings. Consider how you may reach deep and give sacrificially, even if it means foregoing something that you want.

As you can imagine, the same son who gives away almost all of his candy at Halloween is thrilled when it’s Christmas - a season of giving. At the first mention of getting down the Christmas decor, he is busily making Christmas pictures and wrapping them up with loads of tape and hearts. Last year he found some “treasures” in our neighborhood and wrapped them up for me. I don’t think we will ever forget the Christmas when the Tide box sat under the tree and he could barely wait for me to open it. As a matter of fact, several times during December he brought it to me to open. He just couldn’t wait to be generous.
Will you ask God to make you generous? Whether it’s a hypothetical Tide box gift (a small amount) or a large sum of money, the Lord delights to see His children giving back to be a blessing, just as I delighted in opening up the Tide box that Christmas.

If New Life has been a blessing to you in some way, consider giving to our building fund. New Life is embarking on a wonderful journey to acquire additional space in our facility. This would provide classrooms for discipleship as well as much needed space for children’s and youth ministry.

If you’d like to partner with us in the work of the ministry, you can click here to learn more about the different ways to give. We are blessed to be a blessing, so let’s continue to generously bless others this Christmas season.