I, on the other hand, defend those who are excited to use gift giving as a means to express their love to friends and family. And though no one in our family shops on Black Friday, arguments about giving, spending, worship and materialism stir deep conflicts in everyone.

Use the Christmas shopping season to teach your kids about the meaning of giving and receiving.

What I’ve learned is this overall season of shopping madness doesn’t have to be stressful or difficult. It can be used as a valuable time to teach your kids about the meaning of giving and receiving. You just have to shift your focus a little.

Three Gift-Giving Lessons You Can Teach Your Kids

Pray for the people you buy for.

The culture most of us have been raised in teaches that giving gifts is a means of expressing love, and personally, I don’t see anything wrong with this. Do the gifts have to be expensive and perfect for the recipient? Of course not—what matters is the heart of the giver.

When buying gifts with your children, have them think about the person they are buying for and say a prayer for them. Talk with them about that…