by Arlene Borg
As a teen raising funds for a mission trip, to being a Bible college graduate outfitting an apartment, to being a stay-at-home mom, God’s Provision has consistently been evident in my life. I have leaned into the truth that God is my Jehovah-Jireh, my Provider, many times over the years and I think it has given me a glimpse of living in what I call “God’s economy.” God’s economy involves living on alert as to what He is doing, how He wants to provide and even, how He wants me to live and to give. He may help me find that perfect gift, or even generate the funds to buy what I need or hope to give. God’s Provision continues to be a theme of my life and applies to Christmas as well as throughout the year.
I love Christmas. I love all that there is about Christmas. I love decorating, the opportunity to give, and gather with the people that I love. Most of all, I love the focus of Christmas, which is on Jesus’ arrival, His birth, and the miracle of God coming as a babe in the manger. I love celebrating that He is the one who brings us hope, joy and peace regardless of our circumstances or where we live, whether we have freedom or not, whether we are locked down in our houses or free to travel. Regardless of whether we are in prison or disabled, rich or poor, our Heavenly Father does not discriminate in pouring out His spiritual blessings upon us. Because of those blessings to me, I do desire to bless others and live simply, yet give generously.
Christmas Giving and Creativity
In terms of Christmas gift giving and creativity, I have often leaned into God’s economy for provision. I haven’t always had the cashflow to do this in a way my heart has wanted. For many years, we homeschooled our children. I had $150 in our budget to pay for food, clothing, and all of our gifts and vacation expenses. We have also had seasons in our life where my beloved husband and I were living by faith, often without a knowable or sometimes steady income. We learned to live very modestly. Trusting the Lord to help with gift giving was very important.
What does it look like when we lean into God’s economy?
- BE ALERT TO GOD’ S PROVISION
For decades I have had a file for birthday, anniversary, and Christmas cards. I keep that supply filled throughout the year. Over the lockdowns, my card supply had gotten very low and I was not shopping in stores. Recently, however, the local thrift stores have helped me. As I have wandered through, to my delight, I have found brand new Christmas, anniversary and birthday cards, and others to fill up my supply.
2. DO IT YOURSELF
Someone I love has a very modern home and has an amazing ability to buy a piece of furniture or lamp on Facebook marketplace, strip, sand and spray, and modernize it so it suits her design plans. Her house looks like a staged home but, remarkably, she has done much of the work herself. She even redid her white leather couch! I have watched her, in amazement, create this beautiful space. On one occasion, she saw a lamp that she really liked for $200, but she didn’t want to pay that much. So, she bought her own basket, softened it at the bottom to make a hole, turned it upside down, put a socket and lightbulb in it, and wow, she had a lamp that looked almost exactly like the one she wanted. Her creation cost $25.
My point? If there is a gift that you want to buy someone, you can ask God to help you in this creative way.
3. USE WHAT YOU HAVE
I have learned a great deal from our accountant at One Way Ministries, which is where I work. Jennifer will look at what you need, see what is there, and then put together something beautiful. I have watched her buy a big beautiful bushy plant and then cut it all up to make beautiful centrepieces for an event that we had.
I believe that God has given each of us gifts and He has given us what we need. I do not consider myself very creative or crafty, but I did grow up in an entrepreneurial household. I have often sold things on Kijiji or Facebook marketplace, made a little bit of money, and then been able to buy an item of good quality for someone I love. Over the years, I have often picked up an item or two at a garage sale or thrift store, seen its value, and then resold it. It is kind of a fun game for me. I have even collected glass jars from honey purchases and sold them on Facebook. People love glass jars that are all matching. It is fun for me to save those from the recycle bin and make someone happy.
4. GIVE GIFTS THAT INVEST
Personally, I love to buy gifts that make a difference. I call it investing in eternal things while still blessing someone. I love to buy pearls from Help Lesotho and give them as gifts. Or I might buy a card that allows me to give a gift in someone’s name, like shoes for a child in Lesotho or a backpack for a child in Haiti. Many ministries these days have catalogues where you can choose those kinds of gifts. One of my favorite gifts is to give a child a subscription to a Focus on the Family magazine. While delighting a child all through the year and nourishing their spirit, I am also able to support an important ministry.
If I can, I do love to buy from stores that invest in Canada or companies that are Canadian, such as Home Hardware, Canadian Tire, or a local community business. There is a new app called GetitLocal where you can help local restaurants make more money than through Uber eats. Although I don’t eat out very often, the idea is very appealing to me. Buying local can even mean buying something brand new on Facebook marketplace so that someone in my community has a little bit of money to buy what they need for their Christmas. Amazingly, there are many brand-new items available for resale online and in the thrift stores.
On that same note, if I am going to go out for a meal at a restaurant and I am on a limited budget, I would much rather skip having dessert or a drink, making sure I leave a good tip. We carry Christ within and it is important that we represent Him well.
5. SIMPLIFY
If times are tough for you, use these circumstances to simplify. Have a family conversation around reduced expectations so that everyone gains understanding. “Picking names” instead of buying gifts for everyone, may be one simple solution that lessens the financial strain. In my family of origin, we stopped buying gifts for one another decades ago.
My last three tips
- Listen to your loved ones. Ask questions. Observe. Pray and ask God to give you ideas as to how to bless them. Maybe even ask them what they would like as a gift this Christmas.
- Lean into God’s economy. Trust Him as your Provider and ask Him how you can find what you are looking for. Pray and ask God to show you where to find the item. For instance, I saw a small Calico Critter rabbit figure in a high chair that I knew would bless by my little granddaughter for Christmas. It was only a $10 item but, with shipping, would have been $25 so I decided to forgo that gift. However, a few days later, I saw the same little item being sold on Facebook for $10. Brand-new and still in the original packaging, I was very happy to pick that up, and have it wrapped under the tree.
- Stay alert to what God may provide and listen to what He places in your spirit as an idea. My husband loves reading John Grisham books. I was going to buy him the latest one or two last year and then happily found someone selling a whole library of his books. I studied what Ray owned and then filled in the gaps. So, for the same $50, I gave my husband a dozen books instead of two.
These are just a few of my thoughts and experiences that have taught me about God’s heart of love, care, generosity, and provision and what it is to live in His economy. So, may the Lord help you also to listen, lean in, and stay alert to what God is doing around you this Christmas season.
Arlene Borg is a dear friend of Dave and Reb. She was featured on today’s podcast discussing Christmas Giving and God’s economy. One of her Jehovah Jireh stories is also featured in Reb’s new book Cultivating Trust: Finding God’s Hope and Freedom for Your Finances. You can order the book at www.morethanenoughbooks.com to find Arlene’s story.