I don't think it's too far of a stretch to believe that we get it--that we get it's not about getting, it's about giving. The older I get the more I come to appreciate and live this out. When Barb and I became parents it was a wonderful experience to wake up on Christmas morning and watch each of our kids open their presents. (I am so thankful for video cameras!)

But I think we need to take this a step further. I believe we need to fully examine Scripture and let the Holy Spirit teach us lessons about Christmas that will strip away the lessons we've learned from the empire of cultural consumerism. Think about this: What if we began cutting back on presents in order to spend more time with each other? The danger of modern Christmas shopping is getting caught up in the mood of buying stuff we can't afford. I didn't say we couldn't buy it--plastic money makes it possible to buy almost anything--we just have to pay for it latter. And just how do we pay for something later we couldn't afford in the first place? Businesses call it overtime. We buy things we don't need at prices we can't afford to satisfy a longing that is only fleeting. And come January, when we get the invoice in the mail, we discover that we have to work extra hours to make ends meet. The extra hours we work cheats our family out of the time we should be spending with them. Nobody really wins.

The biblical record of God's gift was the gift of Himself. He didn't give something that would rust, fade or go out of style; no, God gave us His eternal Son whose birth would change the world forever! I believe Christmas can still change lives. I also believe we go about celebrating Christmas wrong. I realize accomplishing this is difficult and that is why I propose we go about it slowly, but intentionally. Start small this year and let it grow as the years pass.

I wish all of you reading this a Merry Christmas. My hope and prayer is that you find peace and contentment through the gift God gave.

Grace & Peace,

Scott