Words like poverty, expense, indebtedness, poor, borrow etc are all negative words that have now come to be associated with Christmas. YOU spend above and beyond what YOU have to buy presents for loved ones and also inviting family and friends over for expensive meals. If YOU are a parent with more than one child the bills tend to mount. Manufacturers of certain products do their possible best to pile on the misery for YOU parents too. Some of these companies make high end products that are targeted towards your kids in the form of game consoles. These game consoles are not only targeted at your children but also towards YOU as well (me too). So YOU go out and splash anywhere between £350 -£450
($571 -$735) on a PS4 or an Xbox one and this may only be for one of your kids in the house. By Dec 31st YOU are so broke to the point that you are 'eagerly' looking forward to the month's salary. Come next year January by months end, the month's salary is again still being 'gingerly' expected. Come February, YOU can't wait for pay day, you are still struggling and broke from the Christmas expenses…do you get my drift?
What I am trying to say is this - we (sorry YOU) are likely to get into huge debts this Christmas (and future ones), so much so that it may require more than 2 months salaries to get back into credit. Some of YOU will be in a worse state because your gifts and presents will be bought on credit cards or spread out on monthly payment plans, so come next year December, you'll still be paying off this year's debts. The most worrying aspect of it all is that we tend to pass on this 'Christmas spending' mentality on to our kids. #Viciouscycle. Is this the true meaning of Christmas?
If YOU are a Christian, there is only one reason to celebrate Christmas - "the birth of Christ and what HE embodies". If you are not a Christian but YOU celebrate Christmas, same reason should apply to YOU too. If YOU are a parent, this message should be brought to bear on your kids. If YOU are not a parent, please advise the younger ones you come across. Jesus Christ embodies everything that is contrary to all the "ills" I have just explained above. I will not be getting into the pagan history behind Christmas or the theology about Jesus, but there are somethings that I'll like to highlight about HIS life.
As Christmas is a celebration of Jesus, it behooves us to know that he was always concerned about the poor (so why are YOU getting yourself into debt?). HE cared so much about the less privileged, HE fed the poor/hungry, HE healed the sick, HE showed love etc. So the real celebration of "CHRIST- mas" should incorporate those qualities. After all for some of us this will be the only time in the year (only chance possibly) that we will be required to help a "less privileged" person. Doesn't it make sense for you to teach your kids these principles? And may be if they know this, (just may be) the world will be a better place (some day). I will be wrong in saying that we shouldn't buy gifts or presents for our loved ones because this will be in contrast to the festive mood that surrounded the birth of Christ in Bethlehem (among those who were expecting his birth at least); but to do this at your detriment is a denial for what Christ stood for.
So if YOU can, if possible, try looking for whom to bless this festive period. Are YOU able to visit someone in the hospital, a sick person, an elderly lonesome individual who will be spending this Christmas all alone, will YOU be making up with lost friends or family members, inviting someone into your house for a nice meal?
If YOU are a Christian, there is only one reason to celebrate Christmas - "the birth of Christ and what HE embodies". If you are not a Christian but YOU celebrate Christmas, same reason should apply to YOU too. If YOU are a parent, this message should be brought to bear on your kids. If YOU are not a parent, please advise the younger ones you come across. Jesus Christ embodies everything that is contrary to all the "ills" I have just explained above. I will not be getting into the pagan history behind Christmas or the theology about Jesus, but there are somethings that I'll like to highlight about HIS life.
As Christmas is a celebration of Jesus, it behooves us to know that he was always concerned about the poor (so why are YOU getting yourself into debt?). HE cared so much about the less privileged, HE fed the poor/hungry, HE healed the sick, HE showed love etc. So the real celebration of "CHRIST- mas" should incorporate those qualities. After all for some of us this will be the only time in the year (only chance possibly) that we will be required to help a "less privileged" person. Doesn't it make sense for you to teach your kids these principles? And may be if they know this, (just may be) the world will be a better place (some day). I will be wrong in saying that we shouldn't buy gifts or presents for our loved ones because this will be in contrast to the festive mood that surrounded the birth of Christ in Bethlehem (among those who were expecting his birth at least); but to do this at your detriment is a denial for what Christ stood for.
So if YOU can, if possible, try looking for whom to bless this festive period. Are YOU able to visit someone in the hospital, a sick person, an elderly lonesome individual who will be spending this Christmas all alone, will YOU be making up with lost friends or family members, inviting someone into your house for a nice meal?
These sayings are worth considering - "do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it" - Heb 13:2 (that's mind blowing). So our imaginations of what angels look like (white robed winged flying beings) may not necessarily be. They may look like you and me. This Christmas some may be appearing as poor folks to you, some may be in the form of that colleague you don't talk to at work, whilst some may make contact with you in different ways…you never know. Penultimately, Jesus said He will be telling some people on the last day " I was hungry and YOU gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and YOU did not take me in" and those people will answer back and say "when did we see you and didn't offer any help?" (along those lines).. And Jesus will in-turn answer back and say "in as much as you didn't help those folks, YOU did not do it to me" (paraphrasing). Guess what , if we saw Jesus today asking for our help, we'll rush to HIS aid because we know how he looks (we think) ; but the last dialogue between those folks and Jesus showed that Jesus wasn't recognizable to them. He will not appear or hasn't been appearing in his glorious form to YOU but in a more earthly form - resembling everyday folks. Lastly, YOU are constantly being tested - "... I TEST the mind…"- Jer 17:10, "... I humbled you…in order to TEST you" -Deut 8:2, "...for God has come to TEST you..." -Ex. 20:20, "... That I may TEST them to know whether they will walk in my law or not..." -Exodus 16:4.
3 things for YOU (yes YOU) to ponder upon; Angels may not be as YOU have assumed (not like the ones on your Christmas tree), so they may be in your midst right now. Jesus may have approached YOU on many occasions seeking for YOU to help HIM (but YOU didn't recognize HIM because he looked different). YOU are constantly being TESTED by God. Do good this "Christ-mas".
Twitter - @mexy7777
3 things for YOU (yes YOU) to ponder upon; Angels may not be as YOU have assumed (not like the ones on your Christmas tree), so they may be in your midst right now. Jesus may have approached YOU on many occasions seeking for YOU to help HIM (but YOU didn't recognize HIM because he looked different). YOU are constantly being TESTED by God. Do good this "Christ-mas".
Twitter - @mexy7777
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