day 304: Appropriate Office Gifts

By the end of this week people will be leaving for the Christmas week, so between now and Friday whatever gifts that are going to be exchanged in the office will likely be given. As such, the business media pulls out their annual stories about the gifts that are given in the office and what is appropriate and what is not. Some companies have their own rules around what can be given to vendors or customers and those policies have to be followed. But few talk about what is okay to pass along to other co-workers, the boss, and subordinates. I was never much of a gift giver but if I did give a gift I played it safe and I would give, for example, the same book to all my direct reports. The reason we have to play it safe is that even a gift can be misinterpreted or worse yet animosity can be created if one person gets one gift and another gets something else. So, whether we like it or not, we even have to think hard about the gifts that we give at work. Another reason, I guess why we call it work. Here is a set of appropriate gifts that you can give to anyone and a set of gifts that can be given all year long, every day, to everyone. No, they are not Harry and David fruits. They are even better. The fruits of the spirit are the gifts that are all age, people and job appropriate. We read in Galatians 5:22; "But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." I cannot imagine a better set of gifts to give to others for this coming year. And how these gifts would multiply if we were able to give them daily and consistently. As we think about what it is that we can give to others, before we go to the superficial and the ones that are soon forgotten, used up, or thrown away, think about the gifts that you have as a believer and follower of Jesus and see if you can't start giving these gifts away, right away, even starting today.

Reference: Galatians 5:22 (New Living Testament)