You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled. --Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Recently I have heard a few people say if only God would give them _________ (insert material item) they would be happy. Each time I heard these words my heart grew heavy and I had to hold back from screaming, “He’s given you the gift of eternal life! Accept that gift and don’t look back!” Lately I’ve been thinking about my own heart and I realize that I’m not that different from these people.
Recently in my life I have had the opportunity to interview for an amazing job. I have been praying for many years for a job like this, and it just seems like the perfect answer to prayer. The perfect gift from God. I am now in the waiting period, all I can do is pray as I hold on to hope that this job will be mine. But, I’ve recognized a sinfulness in my own life. Do I deserve this job? No. Is this job crucial to my happiness? No. Does God owe me this job, because of all the pain and suffering I have been experiencing at my current job? A resounding NO! Truthfully, in my heart I have been feeling that I do deserve this job, and that God does owe me this. Please Jesus change my heart, because I do have faith that you can make the impossible happen, and I may actually be blessed by this opportunity. However, my heart and my happiness will not change if you Will is otherwise. Please give me joy in your Will, regardless of the outcome!
During this Christmas season I have noticed the materialism around me, and most significantly I have noticed the materialism within me. Is Christmas really about making a list..and checking it twice? Is Christmas really about counting the presents that are under our trees? I’m not saying that giving gifts and having a Christmas tree is wrong, but when did Christmas become about us? I’m speaking to myself here, but perhaps this message is also for someone reading this.
What are you truly thankful for today? I’m guessing it’s not your new car, or your new sweater, or even your perfectly decorated home. The things that we should be truly thankful for is our families, our friends, and most importantly, our salvation that is found in Jesus Christ. Then, why have we not made Christmas about these things? (Again..speaking to myself here!)
I woke up with a heavy heart as I reflected upon these things. Two thousand years ago a perfect baby was born. We may think that all babies are perfect, but this was truly a perfect baby. Thirty years later this perfect baby was just as perfect as a grown man. What did Jesus Christ deserve? Unlike us, he deserved Glory, Honour, and Praise. What did WE give this perfect baby? We gave him our sin, the wrath of God that we deserved, and death. What a sacrifice that our Lord made! To give us the gift of eternal life!
Now, isn’t that something worth celebrating?
