Post-Christmas Questions

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.   (KJV)

 

 

The day after Christmas - ribbons, wrapping paper, and tons of packaging materials fill trash cans and dumpsters from Seatttle to St. Augustine, from San Diego to Eastport, and all the places in between.  Wallets are flattened and credit cards maxed.  Some of us are thankful for a "just right" gift, others will be heading to the Exchange Counter at the first opportunity (or considering possibilities for re-gifting).

 

How did we get from the birth of the Savior to this inordinate celebration of materialism? from bringing precious gifts for the infant King to allocating scarce resources (money, time) to what is mostly unappreciated?

 

A parable is recorded in Matthew 25, beginning at verse 31.  It tells of two classes of people, represented by a mixed flock of sheep and goats.  The people are being divided into separate groups, depending on how they have treated others.  When asked, Jesus gives His criteria for this sorting in these words: ". . . 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me' " (Vs.40, NIV, 2010)

 

This leads me to reconsider the whole concept of Christmas.  If we are celebrating a birthday, who receives the gifts?  The only way I can see to give a gift to Jesus is to feed the hungry, to clothe those who have nothing to wear, to help the needy become self-reliant.  Check out www.giftcatalog.adra.org/ and www.Heifer.org for some possibilities.  I also highly recommend Unplug the Christmas Machine  by Jo Robinson and Jean Coppock Staeheli.

 God has promised to supply what we need.  He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10).  It is God who gives talent and ultimately puts all resources into our hands (Deuteronomy 8:17,18).  We are but stewards of those resources, and ". . . It is [essentially] required of stewards that a man should be found faithful [proving himself worthy of trust]  (I Corinthians 4:2, AMP).

Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? (Isaiah 55:2a, NKJV).

 

Philippians 1:6   I am confident that He who has begun a good work in you will continue that work until the day of Jesus Christ.