“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

James 1:17 

At Christmas, we talk a lot about gifts. I am sure you have been there: what we’ll give, what we’ll receive, what’s wrapped under the tree. James reminds us that all true giving starts with God. When James wrote this book, he did so in the Greek language. What makes verses and stories richer is understanding what’s behind a word. He uses two different words for “gift.” The first use means “the act of giving.” The second means “the thing given.” Together they show that how God gives and what He gives are both good.

How He Gives 

“Every good gift” James says, is a generous act that flows from God’s heart. God’s giving is never reluctant or random. He gives because giving is who He is. James says that every generous act that flows from God’s heart is good.

Think of how He gives: steadily, joyfully, attentively. Like the rising sun that never misses its cue, the Father of lights shines faithfully. He isn’t moody or unpredictable. His giving isn’t based on our worthiness or our moods. He gives because He loves to give.

Every breath, every mercy, every bit of beauty in an ordinary day comes from His generous hand. God’s giving carries the mark of kindness. He delights to do good because His heart is good. Nothing but good comes from God.

What He Gives 

“Every perfect gift” speaks of the gift itself. Think of this as the result of that giving. This gift is not perfect because it looks flawless to us, but because it fully fits God’s purpose for us.

Ultimately, the perfect gift is Christ Himself, God’s own Son, wrapped in humanity. This is what we specifically celebrate at Christmas. Every other gift points to Him: forgiveness, hope, peace, joy, and so much more.

But sometimes the gifts God gives don’t look perfect when they arrive. A closed door, a long wait, a season of loss. Those aren’t easy packages to unwrap. Yet even in hard seasons, God remains good. Hard and good can coexist because our Father never changes.

The Unchanging Giver

James calls Him “the Father of lights.” The phrase recalls the sun, moon, and stars as steady sources of light. Yet even they shift and fade. Shadows fall across the earth. But not with God. “He does not change like shifting shadows.” 

There is never a moment when God stops being who He is. He cannot not be good. His generosity isn’t seasonal, and His kindness isn’t conditional.

Even when life feels dark, His light still shines. Charles Spurgeon said, “Even when we can’t trace His hand, we can trust His heart.”

When Giving Looks Different

Maybe this Christmas finds you in a hard season. You might even say that joy feels absent or distant. It’s confusing when God’s gifts don’t come in the wrapping we expected. But James invites us to see deeper: the God who gives is good, and the gifts He gives are good, even when they come through pain. If you don’t want to sign up for pain, welcome to being human. You have probably discovered that pain is part of being human in a broken world.

The same hand that holds the stars also holds you. The same Father who gave His Son will not fail to give you what you truly need. His giving may not always match our wants, but it perfectly meets our needs. We don’t have to worry that He will give us something that is ultimately hurtful, because nothing but good comes from Him.

During the Christmas season, we hope you can take an intentional moment to celebrate the Giver and the gift in these ways:

• The way God gives is faithfully, kindly, without change. The giving way is itself a gift.

• The things He gives us, even the ones that are wrapped in mystery, are shaped by His love for us.

Both remind us that He is still giving, still loving, and still lighting our world with His unchanging

goodness.

Jason & Stacy Young