External Giving: People give for different reasons. Some give to others that have need, whether finances, clothing, food, or giving their time to provide social companionship.
Others give to receive. They view their gifts like investments where they can gain influence in their relationship with you. Like a Costco free sample, they hope that ultimately their calculated investment will benefit them in the long run.
Still others give out of obligation. In many cases they don't feel like giving, but they feel guilty or obliged to in the routines of life. This Christmas season, many will be giving not out because they genuinely want to, but rather because it is expected.
Another reason people give is to make an impression. They give because they want to present themselves as generous. They like to hear you tell them and others, "That person is very giving, they are very generous." Such people give to build up positive perceptions from others so they can feel good about themselves.
Intrinsic Giving: On the other hand, some people give out of a natural and organic desire from their hearts. Something intrinsically compels them to show gratitude to certain individuals, a genuine felt sense of appreciation. This is the type of giving that was said of the wise men, who traveled many miles to pay homage to a child named Jesus as they disbursed their heartfelt gifts.
First, they gave gold. This "perfect metal" denotes value and splendor. Gold was so revered, it was often used as an expression of appreciation for divinity. Throughout the Bible, there are some negative examples of this pattern when it comes to pagan idols (i.e. The Golden calf), and some positive ones, notably the tabernacle and the temple, which were overlaid in gold, powerfully illustrating the correlation.
Secondly, they gave frankincense, a white resin from tree bark that is highly fragrant and used in worship when burned. It was used chiefly to denote the imagery of a fragrant offering toward God. Later of course, Jesus would make atonement for us by offering up himself up as a sacrificial offering before His Father.
Thirdly, they gave myrrh, which was a spice extracted from tree bark that was often used for embalming the deceased. Embalming of course, was an attempt to preserve the body from decay and would in a sense symbolize immortality. Perhaps this was a future forecast of this Christ child, since we know that after he died, his body did not experience decay but instead lived on forever.
In the end, these three gifts represented hearts that were filled with gratitude toward Jesus, the Christ-child. They were not only thoughtful, but also an appropriate reflection about how they felt intrinsically felt about Jesus.
Inevitably, it is with this type of giving we must ask this fundamental question this Christmas, "Why am I giving?"
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