Friday, September 24, 2010

How different would Christmas look...

I've been praying a lot lately for God to speak into my life about how I can change my world to better reflect His truth.  I get so caught up in the day-to-day grind that I miss opportunities to reflect Him to my family, friends, and strangers. 

My prayers started with a quote I heard on KLove a few weeks ago, and I took it as a personal challenge:  "If being a Christian was illegal, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"  Wow - I couldn't say there would be looking at my day-to-day routine, so I've asked God to help me change that.

I also listened to a podcast earlier this week from Cornerstone Church about parenting, and a tibit stuck with me - do the holidays at your house become a time to display God's truth, or obscure it?  God has laid on my heart a desire to display His truth this Christmas; I want it to be different at my home this year.

So God's laid a few ideas on my heart I'll be sharing as we near Christmas. 

Here's the first:
How different would the gifts be if we set up a manger in our home instead of a Christmas tree?

I wouldn't want to wrap as much random junk for my family and friends and stack it up so that it looks like a lot.  I'd carefully consider what I placed around the manger, and make them gifts worthy of my Savior.  And it wouldn't likely be material gifts at all - I think they'd be replaced with either gifts for others would otherwise go without or the material gifts would be replaced completely with acts of service. 

Prayer:  Lord, please help me to honor you as I begin to think of the Christmas season.  I want Christmas to look different in our home this year - I want this season to reflect You to others.  It won't be easy or popular to make changes that reflect You - our culture gets so wrapped up in the material aspects of Christmas - but I want to give gifts that You treasure and bless; not random stuff for people that have too much already.  And yes, Lord, I am one of those people!  Please show me how to treat Your season this year.  Amen.

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