Christmas morning dawned cold and bright last year. The candles were lit, the coffee was strong, and the twinkle lights did their best to cheer the room. But the day lost a bit of its shine when I distributed three small gifts to both of our sons. Six presents total. I felt like I should apologize.
We had visited a relative the day before where both boys had opened at least a dozen gifts each, and we’d soon head out for more Christmas visits to family members who would shower our kids with piles of expensive presents. Living out of state means that our families bridge the geographical distance with more gifts than any child needs. Being a ministry family means my husband and I could never hope to give our kids the kinds of gifts they receive from extended family. Most years, I feel like the gift-giving around our own tree pales in comparison to what our kids will receive from others.
While I’m grateful my children are so loved by extended family members, Christmas always leaves me feeling a little less-than. If we can’t give our sons the “best” gifts of the holiday season, will they grow up thinking we should have done better? Will they think we didn’t want to spend more? Will they resent us for sticking to a smaller budget?
Every year, I fret.
But every year, I’m reminded that the tangible gifts we give and receive are never the point of Advent.
We spend 25 days celebrating Advent with our sons each December. We light candles, read Scriptures, sing songs, pray for others, and do crafts centered around gratitude. These are simple practices, really. They cost nearly nothing, but they anchor our hearts around the Person whose birth we are celebrating at Christmas. Jesus is the treasure of Christmas, and if we are giving our children the truth about who he is and why he came, then we are surely not coming up short.
Jesus told two parables during his ministry about valuable treasures worth spending one’s entire life to acquire. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matt. 13:44–46).
Nothing in this world compares in value with the kingdom of Christ. His reign over our lives matters more than all the expensive, tangible gifts or experiences we could pile up for our children.
Nothing will revive their dead hearts like being made alive in Christ (Eph. 2:5).
Nothing will give them hope like faith in Jesus (Heb. 6:19).
Nothing will satisfy their longings like being filled with the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19).
Nothing will last like our eternal inheritance in Christ (1 Pet. 1:3–5).
When you cannot give your children the things of earth that you’d like to give, take heart and know that you are equipped to give them the most important thing. You can point them to Jesus who provides everything they need for salvation. No earthly present can compare with the hope of the gospel. Teaching your children about the birth, life, death, resurrection, and kingdom of Jesus is the point of Advent.
I love to watch my children’s faces as they light up with excitement while opening gifts on Christmas morning. It’s good to give gifts to our children! But we do not have to fret about how few or how inexpensive our gifts might be. Anything we wrap and place beneath the tree can and will come to an earthly end. Jesus promises, though, that seeking his kingdom far outlasts the stuff of earth: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 5:19–21).
As you contemplate the gifts you’ll buy, wrap, and place beneath your tree this year, remember that what your children need most is the message of the baby in the manger. They need to know who Jesus is and why he came.
You may lack the physical things you desire to give at Christmas, but in Christ you have everything you need. It costs nothing at all to tilt the little faces of your children toward the Savior who came to save them from their sins.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION/ APPLICATION:
How can you internalize the truths about earthly treasures versus heavenly ones? What level of importance are you placing on what you can or cannot give your children?
What steps can you take to help your children see that Jesus is far more valuable than the gifts beneath the tree?
In what ways can you demonstrate to your family that Jesus is our greatest treasure?
Glenna Marshall is married to her pastor, William, and lives in rural Southeast Missouri where she tries to keep up with her two energetic sons. Glenna is the author of The Promise is His Presence: Why God is Always Enough. You can connect with her at glennamarshall.com where she writes about suffering, biblical literacy, and God’s faithfulness.