By Mallory Mattingly
As Christmas approaches, New York Knicks forward Trey Jemison wants us to focus on generosity this holiday season.
He began his most recent Instagram Bible study by reading 2 Corinthians 9:5-7:
Therefore I considered it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance the generous gift you promised, so that it will be ready as a gift and not as an extortion. The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.
The Christmas season comes with the pressure to make sure you’re “giving” the right amount, but Jemison says God wants something different from us.
“The first thing was, go to God and see what He wants you to give. And then stick to that. So before you go sow a seed in the church, before you give your family members some money, whatever number God gave you, stick to that number,” Jemison shared.
Related: Lakers Center Trey Jemison Shares What God Laid on his Heart
“Two is you reap what you sow,” he continued. “…if you’re not going to give nothing — I’m saying you’re just going to hold everything to yourself — …that’s what you’re gonna get back in return. But if you’re sowing good things, if you’re sowing in people’s lives, and you’re sowing all these other things, it’ll come back to you 100-fold.”
Lastly, “be a cheerful giver. If God wants you to bless somebody, don’t do it with an attitude,” Jemison said.
In September, Jemison was signed by the New York Knicks to a two-way contract.
Last season, he “appeared in 38 games with the Pelicans and Lakers last season. As a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, he registered a career-high 24 points on 84.6-percent shooting, six rebounds and two blocks against Washington (Mar 12, 2024). The three-year vet holds career averages of 4.2 points on 55.2-percent shooting, 3.8 rebounds over 15.3 minutes in 63 games (14 starts) for the Wizards, Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Lakers,” per the NBA G League.
He knows that his NBA career is only thanks to God.
“There’s no way I should be in the NBA. There’s no way I should be 6’10”. There’s no way I should be with the Lakers right now,” he reflected in Feburary. “When God has opened doors for me I have to remember who brought me here. So my platform is used to impact peoples lives.”
As Christmas and the pressure of gift-giving approach, let’s remember that the real reason for the gifts we give is to point to the best gift of all: the birth of Jesus.
Read Next: ‘But God’: Lakers Trey Jemison Releases Powerful Bible Study
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