‘Tis the season…
‘Tis the season…
Much of the talk heard on television, radio, at the mall, in the elevator, most anywhere this time of year centers on giving.
More specifically, Christmas giving.
Commercials, billboards, store banners and signs all tout the “perfect gift for that special someone.”
Giving is a wonderful thing. The long- standing tradition of our culture is to give gifts to our friends and loved ones in honor of Jesus’ birth.
There are many illustrations shown to us through scripture that exhibit the pure spirit of giving.
There is the familiar story of the Good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10 where the man of Samaria gave his first aid kit, his ride (a donkey) and his financial resources to help a stranger who had been attacked and left for dead. In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul writes of Macedonian Christians giving from their poverty to help other believers. And, of course, there are the gifts brought to Jesus by the wise men.
But the greatest gift of all is the reason we celebrate Christmas: God’s gift of His Son, Jesus, to be the Savior of all. As we celebrate the birth of the Messiah, the Promised One, let’s remember to give from a heart of grace so that His name can be made known to all the earth.
The benevolent works of our churches, the various outreach ministries in our communities, and, of course, the Lottie Moon Christmas offering – are all means of reaching out and pointing people toward Jesus Christ. Giving gifts to our loved ones is a nice gesture, but giving a gift that will share the Good News of Jesus lasts forever.
Following are some practical tips on making gifts to ministry before the year ends:
n Give appreciated assets. Assets that have increased in value over time, such as stock or mutual funds, can be easily transferred to a ministry organization. This type of gift does not interfere with normal cash flow and has the added benefit of avoiding capital gains tax. But don’t wait too late. Initiate this gift by mid-December to see that you get credit in this tax year.
n IRA Rollover Provision. Congress recently extended a provision in the law to allow those who are 70 ½ years of age to transfer money directly from an IRA to a charitable organization, such as your church, and not include the distribution as taxable income. This is a bonus for those who make regular gifts to ministry but don’t itemize deductions on their tax returns.
n Donor Advised Fund. The donor advised fund allows the donor to make a tax-deductible contribution in the current tax year, but direct the distribution of the gift over time. This fund makes it easy to direct gifts to multiple ministries and also is helpful in contributing anonymously.
Discussing tax deductions and reducing tax liabilities are not especially heartwarming subjects conducive to Christmas celebrations. However, they are subjects that concern good stewardship, and surely good stewardship pleases the Lord at Christmastime – at any time.
The Louisiana Baptist Foundation is available to help guide you in the most effective giving to benefit the cause of the Gospel. Please feel free to contact us if we can be of assistance.
Giving to God’s Kingdom work should be a year-round discipline. But as we celebrate the birth of the Savior, it is especially appropriate to give so lives and hearts can be changed for eternity.