Most of us are curious about the lifestyles of very wealthy people, and we often satisfy that curiosity by reading books. A news channel recently reviewed eight books that “expose the secret lives of the super-rich.” But when you read the Gospel accounts of the life of Christ, you find the opposite story. Though Jesus arrived as the King of the Jews, He was born in a cave, laid in a manger, raised by an impoverished couple, worshiped by ragged shepherds, and mainly ministered in rural areas populated by needy people.

The Lord has a different plan for every one of us, and we all have different levels of need or of income. But Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15, NIV).

The Christmas season tends to bring financial pressure. Be cautious and be a good steward. Your love of Jesus and your simple acts of kindness in His Name are the most valuable gifts you can give.

God is near to lowliness; He loves the lost, the neglected, the unseemly, the excluded, the weak and broken.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer