Christmas means many things to many people. Some say it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Others say, “Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand. Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind. Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflections.”
Every year my daughters ask me what I want for Christmas. This year is no different. “What do you want for Christmas, daddy?” they ask. “Nothing,” I respond. “Why?” they continue. My response is “because I have everything that I need and more than I need!” Looking into my closet this morning, I saw shirts and other articles of clothing with tags still attached that were gifts from past years. It’s not that these things don’t fit, it’s just that I have accumulated too much and more than I can wear.
Christmas is a good time for reflection on what has been given to us and for remembering those who are less fortunate. How will you count your blessings this Christmas? What does the good life mean to you this season? Is it driving the fanciest car, wearing the latest fashions or having the most prestigious job? God’s concept is very much different from ours at this time of the year. He would like to see us guarding against greed.
Life is not measured by how much you have but rather how much you have to give away. English philosopher G. K. Chesterton said, “There are two ways to get enough. One is to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less and less.” People today are possessed by possessions. The more complex life becomes, the more convinced we are that we need more to be happy. Having obtained what we think we need, we soon become unhappy because a model with more bells and whistles comes out.
It takes far less than we think to discover happiness if it comes from within and we break the stranglehold things have on our lives. Does that mean that God is opposed to us having nice things in life? No! In fact, he wants us to have the nicest things that we can afford. We just cannot allow material things to possess us. Listen to what he said to the rich young ruler who wrestled with the request to sell what he had and give to the poor: “You will have treasure in heaven.” So, make Christmas count this year and my prayer for you is may all your blessings come true. Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Chaplain Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
