Learning To Be A Gift Giver

Learning to Be a Gift Giver

Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.

2 Corinthians 8:7

A WIFE COMPLAINS, “My husband never gives me gifts.”

His reply? “I’m not a gift giver. I didn’t receive many gifts growing up, and I never learned how to select gifts. It just doesn’t come naturally.”

You have just made the first discovery in becoming a great lover: You and your spouse speak different love languages. Now comes the business of learning your second language.

Where do you begin? Make a list of all the gifts your spouse has been excited about through the years. This list will help you know the kind of gifts he or she likes. Also, listen to casual comments such as “I’d like to have one of those” as the two of you are shopping. Another approach is to recruit family members to help you. Your sister may be the perfect person to help you select a gift for your wife, or your brother-in-law may know exactly what to give your husband.

The apostle Paul encouraged the church in Corinth to contribute financially for the suffering believers in Jerusalem. As the Corinthians grew in their faith, he wanted them to excel in the “gracious act of giving.” He was referring to monetary gifts, but the principles are similar. The believers expressed their love for Christ and their fellow Christians through giving, and we can express our love for our spouse through the same selfless and thoughtful acts. As you do, you’re on the road to learning the art of gift giving.

Lord Jesus, I want to be a generous giver, because I know that gifts communicate my love to my spouse. Please show me how to be thoughtful and loving as I select gifts. May my loved one’s pleasure be my motivation and my goal. Thank you for your example of giving so generously to us.

Gifts