We’re looking at the different kinds of gifts we can give at Christmas.

Last week, we talked about a “gift for a gift,” which is basically the giving of a gift because we received a gift.

There is nothing wrong with that, but I think most would agree this is not the most meaningful type of gift giving.

The second kind of gift we give is a “gift for a favor gift.” When a person gives this kind of gift, they don’t really expect a gift in return. They just expect you to do some nice things for them in the future. People who give a gift for a favor gift are not looking for a gift from you.

A great example is when companies and employers do this. It’s a wonderful gesture. At the end of the year, the company gives all of the employees a ham, a turkey or a cash bonus.

Those who give a gift for a favor gift typically don’t expect a gift in return, but they do expect you to be a good employee in the coming year. A gift for a favor gift is a kind gesture that should be appreciated.

The third type of gift we can give at Christmas is a “grace gift.” You can’t pay back a grace gift. This is the kind of gift the wise men gave when they found the Christ child. They gave of themselves. They traveled long distances over an extended period of time to bring their gift personally.

If you had enough money, anyone could buy gold, incense and myrrh. But a grace gift cannot be repaid. How and why the gifts of the wise men were given is what makes their gifts a grace gift.

God gave us a grace gift when he gave his one and only son to provide for our redemption. The gift of eternal life is a grace gift. We can’t earn it. We certainly don’t deserve it. We can never repay it. Grace gifts typically aren’t tangible.

A grace gift might come in the form of time. It’s often about investing of yourself. When we give someone something that is this meaningful, we have given a grace gift. It is impossible to measure the cost of a grace gift. And it is certainly impossible to repay a grace gift.

I hope we can all give more grace gifts this Christmas. It is still early. Even if you have already gotten someone a present, you could still decide to give them a grace gift. If you do, I am convinced they will never forget it.

Steve Greene is the lead pastor of The Point in Seymour. Read his blog at pastorgreene.wordpress.com or email him at [email protected]. Send comments to [email protected].