The holidays are a very exciting time of the year, filled with family gatherings, seasonal music, and of course—the sales. Many of us anticipate Black Friday deals, and if you’re anything like me, the thrill of finding favorite items at a discount can be rather exciting.
However, before we get swept up in the clearance racks, let’s pause for a moment and have an honest conversation about gift-giving that flows from the heart of the Father. When gift-giving is rightly ordered and well intended, it’s not merely a distraction from the sacredness of Advent. It is a beautiful, even holy, expression of God’s love.
The Heart Behind the Gift
I genuinely love giving gifts. There’s a joy in finding something that I know my friends and family will adore, and I don’t mind hunting through sales to do it. It’s an opportunity to intentionally give people things that I know they will cherish.
However, I also sense a tension that arises this time of year: the temptation to overspend, to “show off” our gift-giving skills, and the pressure to impress. It makes me wonder if we’ve turned Christmas into a performance.
To avoid this temptation and to keep gift-giving as a reflection of the way God gives Himself to us, I intend to root my gift-giving in prayer.
Yes, this year, I decided to approach gift-giving—and not just at Christmas, but for birthdays and other celebrations too—with prayerful intentionality. I made a list on my phone of who I would buy for—my parents, a few close friends—and set a general budget. But before I even considered what to buy, I asked the Holy Spirit: What gifts should I give them to affirm that they are seen, known, and loved? How can the gift I give benefit them in a crucial aspect of their lives? These questions profoundly changed my perspective on gift-giving.
Seeing Through Heaven’s Eyes
One of the most transformative gifts we can give is to truly see the person in front of us. Whether it’s someone I’ve known for a long time, or someone who really annoys me, I believe God intentionally places those people in our lives for a reason. And I believe He gives us the grace to see them as He does.
Many of the people on my list this year have brought happiness into my life, by choosing to be present or simply by being there for me in good and bad times. I began to pray over each person’s name, asking God for His insight.
What gift could help this person in an area they are growing in? What could bring them joy, comfort, or encouragement? What serves as a reminder that God loves them? How can I affirm their identity through this gift?
The ideas that flooded my mind aren’t flashy. In fact, most of them aren’t expensive at all: a book that a friend mentioned years ago, a hand-written poem in an antique frame, a handmade gift that took time but little money, some homemade snickerdoodle cookies in a cute container. Each item feels like a whisper of love from Heaven.
This reminds me of the words of James 1:17: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Letting Go of the Pressure
Shopping can be overwhelming without a clear plan. Wandering stores without intention often leads to stress and impulse buys. This is why prayer-led lists make such a difference. I love going into the sales with a list because it makes it easier to shop with intentionality and self-control. If I walk into a store blindly, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what each person likes and what gifts would truly bless them.
Prayer-led lists also help us avoid the stress of having to win big and impress others, while not spending all of our money in the process. Remember, the pressure to get someone the “perfect” gift does not come from God. Christmas is about experiencing presence, not perfection. God came down to us humbly, not extravagantly.
As a result, giving gifts is also an opportunity to receive and share God’s heart for those He’s placed in our lives. It doesn’t have to be a detour from the sacred—it can be a road right into it. When we give from a place of love, we echo the generosity of God, Who gave us Himself as the best Christmas gift we could ever receive.
As 2 Corinthians 9:7 says: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ”
A Few Practical Tips
Here are a few helpful, Jesus-centered shopping ideas for gift giving this season:
- Make a list of who you’re buying for and create a realistic budget.
- Pray for each person on your list. Ask God to give you insight into how to love and encourage them through your gifts.
-
Keep a list of gift ideas on your phone or in a journal. Then, shop intentionally, trusting that God will guide you throughout the process.
During this Advent season, may we purchase gifts, not because things are on sale, but because the Spirit is prompting us to give. And may we give gifts that are a gentle reminder of the God Who sees, knows, and loves all of us.
Victoria Cardona is a graduate of Ave Maria University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in theology, with minors in education and catechetics, and is currently pursuing a master’s in educational leadership at Saint Thomas University. She is a published writer primarily on Caeli and The Star of Bethlehem, where she shares reflections rooted in faith, beauty, and discipleship. She draws strength in the lives of the saints, the beauty of adoration, and the quiet strength of our Lady, striving to live each day with gratitude, simplicity, and joy.
Walk with Us this Advent
Get Your Prayerful Planner
