The Gift of Giving: An Advent Reflection on Faith, Stewardship, and True Worship

☕ Grab a cup of coffee—this one's worth savoring.

An Advent reflection on giving as worship, inspired by 20 years of mission work in Tanzania. Read it all at once, or bookmark and return to sections that speak to you.

Estimated reading time: 12-15 minutes

 

A meditation on how our giving choices during this season can reflect our hearts and bless the world

 

When Everything Changed

 

The store lights seemed impossibly bright. The crowds, impossibly loud. I had just returned from Tanzania—my first mission trip—and suddenly, the American Christmas season felt like a jarring awakening. Just days before, I had walked dirt paths with mothers who were choosing between medicine and food for their children. I had sat in homes where a single goat meant the difference between hope and despair.

 

Coming home to the shopping frenzy of early December 2005 shook me to my core. I had known poverty in America—lived it as a single mom working multiple jobs, charging groceries on credit cards just to feed my family. I had worked as a social worker with people struggling with mental illness, living on government assistance. But what I witnessed in rural Tanzania was different. It was poverty at a level that exposed how much abundance we take for granted, even in our American struggles.

 

That trip didn't convict me—it transformed me. It opened my eyes to see giving in a completely new way.

 

The Beauty Behind the Lights

 

Here we are again—Advent 2025. The lights are twinkling, the shopping lists are growing, and our calendars are bursting with holiday events. Our nation and world face significant challenges: economic uncertainty, division, conflicts, and growing needs both at home and abroad. The weight of these realities is real.

 

And yet—this is precisely why the light matters so profoundly.

 

What if, in the midst of all the activity, we paused? What if we remembered what this season is actually celebrating? Not perfect presentations or impressive gifts, but the Light of the World—the very reason those Christmas lights shine in the first place.

There's an invitation here—a gentle beckoning to something deeper and more beautiful.

 

Giving as Worship

Think about the wise men who came to see baby Jesus. They didn't bring just any gifts—they brought their most precious possessions: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These weren't convenience purchases or obligatory gestures. They were offerings of worship.

 

Consider the little drummer boy from the beloved carol. He had no material wealth to offer, so he brought what he had: his music, his talent, his very self. "I played my best for Him," the song says. That's worship.

 

When we give—truly give—we're not just fulfilling a duty or checking off a list. We're acknowledging a profound truth: everything we have belongs to God. Every dollar in our bank account, every opportunity for employment, every gift and talent we possess—it's all from Him. He chooses to bless us with resources, and then He invites us into the sacred act of stewardship.

 

Giving is an act of worship. It reflects our faith, reveals our priorities, and exposes the condition of our hearts.

 

The Invitation to Reflect

During Advent, many of us find ourselves naturally drawn to deeper questions about what really matters. This season invites us to consider:

• How might God be inviting us to steward what He's entrusted to us?
• What beautiful lessons about generosity could we pass on to the next generation?
• In what ways might our giving become an expression of our faith journey?
• What story do our choices tell about what we treasure?

These aren't questions meant to burden us, but to bless us—to open our eyes to possibilities we might not have considered. The way we spend our resources, the gifts we choose to give, the causes we support—these can become sacred acts that draw us closer to God's heart.

In a world increasingly marked by consumption and self-focus, choosing generous giving becomes a countercultural witness. It's an opportunity. And it changes us as much as—or perhaps even more than—it helps those we serve.

 

When Giving Becomes Partnership

There are so many beautiful ways to give during this season. Some choose to give experiences rather than things. Others seek out causes that align with their values. Many look for opportunities where their gifts can multiply and create lasting change.

 

One approach that has deeply blessed my own family is partnership giving—where instead of one-time donations, you enter into relationship with those you're helping. This kind of giving doesn't create dependency; it walks alongside people as they discover and develop the gifts God has already placed within them.

 

This might look like supporting organizations that provide:

• Sustainable resources (like agriculture training or microenterprise support)
• Dignified relationships (not charity, but mutual encouragement)
• Spiritual discipleship alongside practical development
• Goal-setting and problem-solving skills
• Community transformation through local leadership

The beauty of partnership giving is that it blesses everyone involved. Those receiving support gain tools and training, yes, but they also gain brothers and sisters in Christ who believe in them. And those giving? They receive the profound gift of witnessing God's work unfold, of forming relationships across cultures, and of teaching their children what the global Body of Christ truly looks like.

 

(If you're interested in this kind of partnership, I'd love to share about the work I'm involved with through Food For His Children in Tanzania, where we walk alongside families living in extreme poverty. You'll find information at the end of this article, but the principles apply to many wonderful organizations doing similar work around the world.)

 

The Prayers Being Prayed

Right now, all over the world, mothers and fathers are crying out to God. Some are in rural villages in Africa. Others are in inner cities in America. Still others are in refugee camps, in war-torn regions, in communities devastated by natural disasters.

 

They're praying prayers of desperation: "Lord, I'm struggling. I don't know if I can make it another day. Please be with me."

And God, in His beautiful economy, invites us to be part of His answer.

 

Not because He needs us—He is God, after all—but because He chooses to work through His people. Because when we give, we become more like Him. Because partnership in the Gospel transforms the giver as much as the receiver.

 

When we support sustainable development work—whether through agricultural training in Tanzania, job skills programs in our own cities, refugee resettlement, freedom for those trapped in bonded labor (like the brick kilns of Pakistan), justice initiatives, or any of countless other expressions of Christ's love—we're not just providing resources. We're reminding struggling families that God has not abandoned them. We're demonstrating that they are seen, valued, and beloved. We're showing that the Body of Christ extends across every boundary we might imagine.

 

An Advent Invitation: Be Still

In the midst of all the holiday activity, what if we gave ourselves permission to pause?

 

To stop. To breathe. To be still.

 

"Be still, and know that I am God," the psalmist writes. He alone is the Creator. He alone is the Light of the World. He is the reason for this season—not the shopping, not the parties, not even the beautifully wrapped presents.

 

As you encounter Christmas lights this year, let them draw you to THE Light. Don't let the sparkle and glitter become just another distraction. Instead, let those lights become little reminders throughout your day: Jesus, the Light of the World, who came to dwell among us.

 

This Advent, consider creating moments—even small ones—to simply be with Him. To rest in His presence. To worship Him with your whole heart. To bask in His glory.

 

From that place of rest and worship, our giving becomes something different. It flows from abundance rather than obligation. From joy rather than duty. From love rather than guilt.

 

Choosing with Intention

This Advent, what if we approached our giving with prayerful intention? Not out of guilt or obligation, but out of a desire to align our resources with our faith?

 

Consider gifts that bring light and life—not just momentary excitement, but the kind of deep, lasting joy that comes from participating in God's kingdom work.

 

Imagine how your family's giving might:

• Reflect your faith in ways that inspire watching family members
• Teach children about compassion, justice, and stewardship through experience
• Partner with God's work of restoration around the world
• Create relationships that transcend geography and culture
• Multiply blessings across generations

Whether you choose to support sustainable development work, local ministries, refugee resettlement, justice initiatives, or any of countless other expressions of Christ's love, you're participating in something beautiful. You're not giving a handout—you're extending a hand. You're helping to draw out the gifts, skills, and potential that God has already placed in others.

 

And in doing so, you're becoming more like Jesus.

 

The Heart of the Invitation

This Christmas, may we all experience giving as worship—as a song of praise to the God who gave us everything, including His own Son.

May we discover the profound blessing of doing life alongside others, whether they're in our own neighborhoods or across the world.

May we model for the next generation what it means to treasure what truly matters.

And most of all, may we be present—fully present—with the One who is the reason for this season. The Light of the World. The Prince of Peace. The Savior who came as a baby in a manger and changed everything.

May your giving this Advent be an act of worship. May it reflect the generosity of our God. And may it bring light to darkness, hope to despair, and love to a world desperately in need of the Gospel made visible.

 

An Invitation to Share

If this reflection has blessed you, would you consider sharing it? Forward it to friends, share it in your small group, or post it on social media. Let's encourage one another toward thoughtful, worshipful giving this Advent season.

The message of hope, dignity, and partnership in the Gospel is one our world desperately needs to hear.

 

One Way to Give with Purpose This Christmas

If you're interested in the kind of partnership giving I mentioned earlier, I'd love to tell you about Food For His Children. We work with families in rural Tanzania, helping them lift themselves out of extreme poverty through sustainable agriculture, discipleship, and dignified relationship.

 

Partner with a Family: For $21-$75/month, connect with a specific family in Tanzania through our Hearts Across Homes program. Exchange messages, pray together, and watch transformation happen in real time. Families receive a dairy goat, agricultural training, one-on-one support from a Field Officer, discipleship, goal-setting coaching, and participation in savings groups.

 

Give Gift Certificates: Honor your loved ones with a gift that changes lives. Gift certificates allow you to bless a family in Tanzania in someone else's name—creating a legacy of compassion that outlasts typical presents.

 

Support the Mission: One-time gifts of any amount help continue our work of Christ-centered community development in rural Tanzania.

 

Visit and Serve: Consider joining a mission trip to meet the families and communities being transformed.

 

Of course, there are countless other wonderful organizations doing similar work around the world. Wherever God leads you to give, may it be with joy and in worship.

Learn more about Food For His Children at www.foodforhischildren.org or contact kerrie@foodforhischildren.org

 

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." - Matthew 25:35

 

Written By Kerrie Holschbach

Licensed Pastor and Licensed Social Worker

Executive Director, Food for His Children

 

Food For His Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving families in Karatu, Tanzania through Christ-centered community development, sustainable agriculture, and discipleship. We're honored to be rated highly by Charity Navigator and GuideStar.