Re-gifting: Is it Really Okay?

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV

“Oh my! You shouldn’t have!” No really, you shouldn’t have. That silver plated moose walnut cracker from your Uncle Morris or perhaps it was the reindeer sweater with jingle bells on the antlers from your mother-in-law. All of us have been the recipient of a gift that was, shall we say, less than desirable. You’re nodding your head right now thinking of one particular gift.

And what did you do with said undesirable gift? Have you ever re-gifted? According to Wikipedia, re-gifting is the act of taking a gift that has been received and giving it to someone else, sometimes in the guise of a new gift. It is one of Christmas’ oldest, but least talked about traditions. Harris Interactive conducted a study with 1,505 Americans and found 52% of them were re-gifters. Obviously, a lot of us are doing it. But few own up to it.

This year, with the focus on going “green” and the drop in the economy, re-gifting will be at an all time high. Even UPS is getting in on the action. They have created a website where you can send virtual re-gifts to friends and family.

So what do you think? Is re-gifting okay? Should we pass along gifts that were carefully selected for us or should we keep them for ourselves?

Let’s look in God’s Word for the answer.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Romans 12:6 NIV

God has given each of us gifts – spiritual gifts. Should we take His gift and keep it for ourselves? No. God’s intended on us sharing His gift with others. It’s His plan. If we don’t, how will others know about Him?

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 NIV

That’s great news, friends. God taught us to re-gift thousands of years ago. What about the ultimate gift of His Son? He meant for us to re-gift that one, too. The great thing about Christ is you can give Him away and still keep Him at the same time. So, don’t keep Jesus in a closet or on a shelf. Share Him with others. Re-gift Him. It’s okay; you have permission.