It is that time of year again. It is called Christmas. I get a kick out of the sermons preached out of the pulpits these days. They are usually about the focus on presents, objects and everything that has nothing to do with Christ in Christmas. But you know what? These pulpiteers have a point.
What is our fascination with inanimate objects? I was caught in the gulf of thinking about what to get and give for Christmas and putting together a 'wish list' of things I wanted to give and receive. I thought about how I'd love to get a new guitar or even a guitar effects unit called a Tonebone and maybe throw in a new amp like the Vox kind and so on and on and on... I also thought about the other objects I'd love to give to my dear friends and family and other close folks.
But really, are our lives better of with all the extra inanimate objects we get at this time of year? I was wondering about that for my own life. I've been recently listening to allot of inspiring Christian rock with some stellar guitar moves. My wish list of inanimate objects would all just be used to raise some sweet and creative praises to the Chief Shepherd... not to say that this has always been my motives for desiring certain objects. And how about the rest of us? Do the objects we really want bring anything to Jesus? Or do all these objects just help fill our closets and storage areas to collect dust? To they really contribute to the cause of Christ and further His awesome message of love? Maybe we need to ask those shepherds who went to greet the baby Jesus?
I was thinking about these questions after hearing some sermons and recalling the message of Jesus in John 12. Here we have a man who wants his inheritance for selfish things and doesn't seem rich towards God.
14Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
16And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
18"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
21"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
(Luke 12:13-21)
Apparently life is more than taking life easy and eating, drinking and being merry and storing up things for self at the expense of being rich towards God. Real life is caught up in the Savior and using our wealth to treat Him.
Well, I'm not sure what the point of this blog is and I lost my train of thought but I'll get back to you about what it was about when I find out... I'm just thinking out loud at the moment and I hope you got something out of this little splurge.
1 comment:
Interesting post. There is now a movie about consumerism during Christmas called, "What would Jesus buy?"
From the reviews, I read that the people who made it arent exactly Christians. They use 'church' cliches to promote their message and to be funny. They are making fun of consumerism. But they are not blaspheming or blatantly insulting Christians, church or God. The reviews say that the movie might have a message that even Christians could use. Since that review was from Christianity Today, I want to check it out.
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