I am one of those people that believe you should only watch Christmas movies or listen to Christmas music after Thanksgiving. So it’s not as if I want to skip Thanksgiving, but before you know it, our culture will be inflating those annoying inflatable Reindeer and Snowmen and placing them on their lawns. Oh by the way, if have one of those inflatable things I should probably apologize for calling them annoying, but let’s be honest; they are! So sorry, no apology from me.
In case you didn’t know it – Christmas will be here on December 25th. Did you plan? Did you save for those presents? Our culture today has made Christmas be something so much more extravagant than ever before. Christmas is now commercialized. You can have Christmas on credit. Pay for gifts with money you don’t have, to give to family and friends who don’t need them, or will never use them. Whose birthday are we celebrating on Christmas anyway? Christmas is not your birthday.
In case you didn’t know it – Christmas will be here on December 25th. Did you plan? Did you save for those presents? Our culture today has made Christmas be something so much more extravagant than ever before. Christmas is now commercialized. You can have Christmas on credit. Pay for gifts with money you don’t have, to give to family and friends who don’t need them, or will never use them. Whose birthday are we celebrating on Christmas anyway? Christmas is not your birthday.
Here at St. Peter’s, we recognize that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. This year, we want Christmas to be different for you. We want for you to experience the true meaning of Christmas. We desire that you take the time to spend with family and friends instead of rushing around the mall. Give gifts that have an eternal impact rather than a temporary feeling. What if you bought one less gift and gave the money to missions? What if you asked for people to donate to missions instead of giving you a gift card, sweater, tie, or candle? Would you really miss those gifts? Would the joy of a life changed or community impacted be enough to give your heart such joy this Christmas season. We live in a world where people do not experience many ‘silent nights’. You can make a difference in someone’s life through your giving this Christmas.
So if you haven’t started shopping yet, then I want for you to read again the previous paragraph before you do. As you are out in the stores with your long list of things to buy, I want you to pause and ask yourself if this gift you are giving has any lasting impact. Would you consider giving to missions instead?
Last year, Christmas was different for me. As my family and friends opened the cards, I was filled with such joy as I could see that they really loved the gift we gave them. My father was a teacher for 38 years, so we gave a gift for a student in the Dominican Republic to attend school. He was really touched. My mother-in-law works in a mammography office so we donated towards chemotherapy treatment for a friend in the Dominican Republic who was suffering with breast cancer. The picture of the woman who is cancer free now sits on the mantle with pictures of the rest of the family. There are many other stories like this I could share. But I have found that not only did we get to help others through giving to missions, but we gave a lasting gift to our family and friends. You can make this Christmas different. Start now.
