At the end of each year, we truly see some shining examples of goodwill and generosity towards our fellow humans. Communities rally around families to provide meals or Christmas gifts. We open our homes to those whose loved ones are far away or long gone. In general, there’s just an extra awareness around making sure that the people around us are cared for.
Then calendar flips, and in many ways, so do our hearts. Though unintentional, we turn inward again. School schedules pick up. Work becomes more demanding. The to-dos we put off until after the holidays regain our attention. And though perfectly understandable, we can (and even should) pause and remember that this doesn’t have to be normal. The spirit of giving that warmed our hearts in December is needed for the rest of this winter, too.
As Christ followers, what can we do to resist this pull? How can we bring the generosity, compassion, and intentionality of the Christmas season into our regular lives?
We empower our giving with the truth of the gospel.
In Luke 6, Jesus teaches His disciples that the inner workings of our hearts—our beliefs, values, and morality—is ultimately what will guide our actions. Luke 6:45 says, “A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.” If we want to become more generous people, that generosity begins in our hearts. We trust that because God has taught to be self-giving and open to the needs of others, it’s not because He’s trying to take something from us; He is letting us tangibly experience His love for us and others. If we can be honest, a begrudging generosity born from obligation isn’t going to last very long this new year. But by reminding ourselves of the truth of the gospel and the hope we have in it, we are freed to give away to others because of the abundant life given to us (Col 3:1-4).
We build active habits, not passive hopes.
Wishing, hoping, or longing to be people of generosity is a start, but that’s like hoping we can eat healthier or move our bodies more this new year; action is needed to show we truly mean what we say. When it comes to any spiritual discipline, the key is to have a clear plan and to pick a place that helps you stay consistent with your goals. 1 Timothy 4:7-8 teaches, “But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness. For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” This isn’t about legalism—it’s about setting ourselves up to follow through on the values we want guiding our lives.
We start where we are.
When it comes to the plan and place you need to act on a year-long spirit of giving, there’s no perfect starting point. Ask the Holy Spirit where to begin—His wise counsel will guide you to needs in your community you might not know about. By leaning into God’s sovereignty, we continue to make our generosity about God’s goodness rather than our own merit. This is especially true if you feel overwhelmed trying to find the plan that feels like “enough”. Your plan and place could be as simple as a monthly volunteering slot at a local organization or a weekly check-in with a neighbor. If you don’t have a lot of financial margin, give your time or get creative with the resources around you. Trying to do just enough to be a generous people is what makes our giving about us instead of God’s glory—and how exhausting does that sound! But thankfully, when we’re following His Spirit, we’re exactly where we need to be.
As we begin 2026, the body of Christ must take the generosity that marks the joy of the holiday season into this entire year. And as we carry this heart posture together, we pray that “you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God”(Eph 3:17-19).
