Commercial Christmas, part 2

Christmas is a hurtful, bitter time for many. Losing a loved one, losing a job, or whatever else the situation is, doesn't bring joy to people on Christmas. These people are hurting and broken. Christmas is a time of joy and hope, but they have none. Memories bring sorrow for them. Christmas reminds these people of another year gone by, another year someone has been gone. Or think about the people all across the globe that will have no Christmas. These people wake up as they do on every other day, just wondering how they will make it. This is our world.  This is what the society of Commercial Christmas doesn't mention. This is the part that is put on the shelf behind toys, electronics, and appliances. This is what a society looks like without Jesus. This is what a world looks like without Jesus. This is a society without hope. But, in God's perfect wisdom, that is not the case. We don't live in a world without Him. Our world was the same way two thousand years ago. The world was hurting, it had no hope. But that night the Hope of nations, the Son of God, Jesus, was born into a tiny manger in the small town of Bethlehem. That night the world had hope. We were no longer separated from our Heavenly Father. The magnitude of that night will never be surpassed in all of history, because it was on that night that God sent His Son so that we might be "white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). It was on that night that God sent His Son so that we could worship Him forever in eternity. Jesus came to give us hope. This Christmas season, our world is the same as the one Jesus came into. People are busy, looking for other things to provide joy. People are hurting, and hopeless. For those of us who have professed Jesus as our Savior, we need to share that hope. The hope of a God that loves them, and wants to spend eternity with them. So this Christmas season, enjoy the fun, the lights, the family, the memories, the gift shopping, the sights, and the sounds. And while you do these things, don't forget to tell about the One who gives us hope and joy, the ultimate Christmas present: Jesus.

Commercial Christmas, part I

Thanksgiving has come and gone, signaling the beginning of every one's favorite holiday: Christmas. Christmas is a magical time. The aroma of the air is sweeter, a sign of good tidings, and great joy. Human interaction is kinder, people are happier, and the world is eager and excited. Parents rush about, waiting in endless lines, traversing numerous shopping websites, and driving miles to get the gifts so desired after by their children. Child after child dream of the joyous day when a man in a suit  will come down a chimney and leave treasures under the glimmering tree. People illuminate their homes with an array of multicolored lights to show Christmas spirit. Stores become warm and inviting places, beckoning people to purchase items for their loved ones. Holiday parties occur throughout the month as a sign of community. But there is a problem. While this all appears great and fantastic on the outside, and no doubt brings great memories, we have forgotten something. We have forgotten Jesus. I'm not talking to an individual person, or a group of people, but rather to our society as a whole. We have forgotten the Reason for the season. Christmas has become a commercial business for our society. It tells people that their children will be disappointed if they wake up to nothing. It states that your spouse will love you if you buy him or her this item. Christmas is about buying things. However, even worse than this is the fact the our society is making Christmas only about things. Jesus is getting pushed to the curb on His birthday. It's about us now, not Him. We as Christians should know better than to fall into this trap of a Commercial Christmas, and I believe many of us do, but we still feel pressured by society to buy. My own life can serve as an example of how most of us feel. My parents asked me to write a Christmas list of the gifts I would like to receive on Christmas day. To be honest, I could not think of anything. I did not want anything! But something in my subconscious being, guilted me into thinking that if I did not ask for anything, I would be against the crowd. I can't explain the thought, but I can tell you I'm ashamed I thought that way. The Commercial Christmas has taken  the world by storm, and it is only getting worse. Christmas isn't what it use to be, and the reason for the season is becoming something other than Jesus.

The Ultimate Manual

Manuals are the most helpful pieces of advice never used. How many of us have bought something that came with instructions, and thought we could figure it out on our own? I'm guilty as charged. I think that I know better than the instructions, that I don't need them to tell me how to put something together, or how to work something. The best example I have in my life is that of my camera. I've had my camera for almost a year, and never once have I read the instructions. Because of my stubbornness, I don't really know how to do anything on it except shoot pictures. Unfortunately, we also take this approach in reading our Bibles. Many Christians only read their Bibles on Sunday mornings, and it sits on the shelf the rest of the week. A study conducted earlier this year showed that only 19% of Christians read their Bible everyday. 19%! One of the reasons for this is that we think we know how to run our lives. We don't want to read our instruction manual, but no one in the history of this earth has ever succeeded doing things their own way. We need to be constantly reading the Ultimate Manual, and letting God lead and direct our paths. It is God's plan, not ours, that will succeed.