I have been struggling to decide what to post about for awhile now. If I blogged every time a new idea popped into my head, I would have posted 5 entries just today, and that's not counting the ideas I had yesterday, or the day before that... You don't want to read that many blogs, and I definitely don't have time to write them all.
There is one issue that's really gotten to me, and I know that if I don't speak my mind it will keep bothering me until I say my piece.
Christmas is just around the corner, and we seem to have forgotten why we celebrate it. It's right there in the name: Christ. For unto us, a child is born. Jesus was brought into this world to save us from sin. He took our burden of sin, and washed it clean so that we may live forever in Him. That is why we get together and celebrate. That is why we give gifts, to honor a generous God, who gave us the most precious gift of all, His life. We sing carols to praise him, and we light the candles of the advent wreath to glorify him.
"Well, I'm not religious" you say. Do you celebrate Christmas? Do you tell your kids about Santa Claus? Do you give gifts? You may not be doing all of this from a religious place, but you are borrowing elements from a Christian, religious Holiday. Do you know where Santa Claus came from?
St. Nicholas was a real man. He lived sometime during the 3rd century in what is now Turkey. He was born into a wealthy family, but his parents died when he was still very young. He used his inheritance to assist the needy, the sick and the suffering. He devoted his life to God. In a popular folk tale about him, he delivered lumps of gold to a poor family with three daughters that were about to be sold as slaves. The gold mysteriously appeared in stockings that were hung by the fire to dry.
Except, how do we celebrate Christmas now? We cause riots in stores over really low priced TVs and gaming systems and other electronics we have no need for. People get trampled and injured as we rush into stores to buy more items we probably don't need. We get up at the crack of dawn and force others to sacrifice their Thanksgiving so we can increase our material possessions and find the perfect gift for others as if our life depends on it. We spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars in pursuit of the best gift, because it's not the thought but how expensive or high-tech the gift is now that determines its worth. We play Christmas music nonstop for months before Christmas, but are we actually listening to the message the songs are giving us?
I say no. If we were really listening, we would remember that Jesus came into this world to conquer sin with LOVE. He defeated Satin with LOVE. He gave us eternal life with LOVE. He loved us so much that he gave his life for us. That's an awfully big sacrifice that was made on my behalf, and your behalf. That kind of sacrifice shouldn't be taken lightly.
So here's a thought. This year, make Christmas about God. Make it about spending time with family. Make it about creating memories with those you love. Make it about helping those who are less fortunate than us. Make it about showing those you care about how much you love them.
It's not how expensive, or high-tech the gift is that shows it's true worth, it's the thought behind it. Don't forget that the best gift of all that you can give someone is your time, your energy and your love.
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