“For God so loved the world that he GAVE his one and only son…” (John 3:16) When God met each of us he came into our lives simply to bless us. He came as a “giver.” God did not enter our world saying, “It is Christmas, what are you going to buy me?” Or, “I’m God and you owe me.” By grace, Jesus, the son of God, arrives on the human scene full of “grace and truth”. (John 1)

Can you imagine life without these two wonderful gifts, grace and truth? What amazing gifts of life they are. Oh, and then there’s that, life! The greatest gift of all. Jesus said, “I came that you may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10) Wow!

The most beautiful gift that God gives us besides the three I just mentioned, grace, truth and life, is himself. In fact, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…”. (John 14:6) he didn’t say, “Let me catch a sale at the mall or flea market so I can find a great deal on grace, truth, and life? Not, he is the gift! The gift of himself is offered freely to all who receive him. It is in Jesus that we have the gifts of his “way” of grace, his truth, and his life. What a giver!

When I was introduced to #Giving Tuesday, it was a no brainer. God is a giver, I must be. God is a gift. I must be. God is looking for opportunities to simply bless others by grace. Shouldn’t I be?

#Giving Tuesday gives me a perfect opportunity to think about how I can leverage my influence to bless others in a positive way in the name of the one who has blessed me beyond measure! Jesus Christ.

I hope every church leader figures out ways to redeem the holiday season beyond Black Friday and Cyber Monday when purchasing great deals are the order of the day. Hundreds of people in my church, Bridgeway Community Church in Columbia, Maryland, are figuring out how they can feed the hungry, clothe the needy, and package Christmas gifts for children of prisoners as a way of being true gift-givers on #Giving Tuesday. We are excited about getting “in on” what God is “up to.”

May the grace, truth, and life that is found in Jesus, the greatest gift-giver of all, motivate us all to leverage #Giving Tuesday in a way that redeems the true purpose of the holidays. Why? Because God so loved the world that he “GAVE”!

Dr. David Anderson, founder and President of the BridgeLeader Network (BLN), is one of the world’s leading authorities on building bridges across the deep divides of race, faith, culture and wealth. Find him on Twitter @AndersonSpeaks.