If you think about it, the holiday seasons are all about celebrating by getting stuff, just so we can celebrate the stuff with even more stuff. “Thanksgiving has great food! Now let’s go buy some stuff to go with it.” “I got a lot of cool stuff on Black Friday, but there are some sweet deals on Cyber Monday.” “Now that I’ve finished my orders, I need to make my Christmas list and finish my gift shopping.”
The pressure to both receive and give cool things and good things is very real, but where is the contentment in it?
6 Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.7 Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (HCSB)