Giving like Christ

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading, titled, Giving Like Christ, was written by Patricia Raban. When American author O. Henry wrote his beloved 1905 Christmas story, The Gift of the Magi, he was struggling to rebound from personal troubles. Still, he penned an inspiring story that highlights a beautiful, Christ-like character trait, sacrifice. In the story, an impoverished wife sells her beautiful long hair on Christmas Eve to buy a gold pocket watch chain for her husband.

As she learns later, however, her husband had sold his pocket watch to buy a set of combs for her beautiful hair. Their greatest gift to each other? Sacrifice. From each, the gesture showed great love. In that way, the story represents the loving gifts the Magi, wise men, gave to the Christ child after his holy birth. More than those gifts, however, the child Jesus would grow up and one day give his life for the whole world. In our daily lives, believers in Christ can highlight his great gift by offering to others the sacrifice of our time, treasures, and a temperament that all speak of love. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.

There's no better gift than sacrificing for others through Jesus' love. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Romans chapter 12, verses 1 through 3. Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will. For by the grace given me, I say to every one of you, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.

But rather, think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Let's pray. O Lord, in our daily lives, may we show others Jesus by sacrificing our needs for theirs. May our lives be marked by sacrifice and service out of our love for you. It's in your name, Jesus, we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Joy Stinkins, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.