Pastor's Corner

8 Dec
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Mid-Week Challenge

With two weeks to go until Christmas, what kind of shopper are you?  Did you begin in October and have time on your hands or have you yet to begin and can feel the anxiety as you read these words.  

Me, I’m somewhere in the middle but I’m not good at holding on to gifts, so I have already given away those things I bought in October and had to start my list again.  If you are like me, over the last few years you check the shipping time available more than you check your actual list.  It has gotten to the point where I make my selection based on when it arrives more than who it is for. I’ll wait until the day before Christmas to see who gets whatever came in on time.  One of the most helpful and most dangerous things is the online shops that let you hold things in your cart. With only a few days left, we have the tendency to “select all” instead of “I selected this just for you.”  Why did I give you another pair of reindeer socks and matching gloves? Because they arrived on time! 

Amazon cart, eBay watch and other online “perks” have opened up another way for us to put off gift purchasing to the very last minute and take the thought out of “it’s the thought that counts.”  A horrible gift is still a horrible gift, no matter how little thought is put into it or how long it sat in your “cart.”  Luke 12:15 tells us, “life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Don’t buy something just to be buying something.  A little time spent with the other person is more valuable than how well you talk-up that novelty neck tie. (It’s really not that funny)  

Matthew 6:20 - But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Some of the best gifts I have received are the ones that cost the least amount but a lot of effort was put into them.  Why not handwrite a card, or make a DIY item for someone? It might sound cheesy but your efforts will show when the gift is personalized.  

 If you are still struggling with this concept, think of Matthew 6:24 - You cannot serve God and money. Just because you spend a lot of money on something doesn’t mean the gift will be well received.  When the person acts uninterested upon receiving the gift your first thought will not be for the person but how much money YOU spent and how unappreciative they are.  You have to ask yourself, “is it about the person or the money?” If you spent half the money and doubled the time looking you both might feel better when it comes time to swap gifts.  

But then again, with all we have going on, if it arrives on time might just be all that anyone can expect from us this year.  Don’t let the stress of the retail season make you forget the real reason for the season.    

  

Serving the Savior,

Bro. Jonathan

By: Dr. Jonathan RIcherson

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