Finding a Christian at Christmas
They say the most stressful time of year is during the holidays.
Why is that? Thanksgiving.....Christmas....they're supposed to
be happy and fun, you know.....almost Norman Rockwell like.....
but somewhere along the way the stress, the unrealistic
expectations, the unreasonable demands, and all that other
negative stuff show ups and the next thing you know.....you're
depressed, over-tired, and dreading one more day during the
so-called "holiday season".
Amazingly enough, Christians seem to have the exact same issues
as non-Christians. There is no apparent difference in the way
they act or talk or handle the stress of the holidays. Or is
there?
I could tell you that simplifying things to make it easier is a
good idea, but then I'm pretty sure tipping over the Christmas
tree, throwing out the lights, and using the family egg nog
recipe as fireplace kindling wouldn't count in the whole
"simplifying" concept.
So how do you prioritize all that's Christian about the holidays
with all the other stuff that's creeped in over the years? How
do you satisfy your family and friends, and still be able to
keep your focus on what's truly important?
Here are some things you can do that may help you start moving
in the right direction.
Start planning NOW. Decide what is truly important
and necessary as a family. Having Christian priorities means
putting "all that's Christian" at the top of the holiday list.
This is a great time to teach your kids the difference between
giving and receiving. When your kids see that your priorities
are centered around truly celebrating the real purpose of the
season, it will get easier and easier for them to be a Christian
at Christmas too.
Now, let me clarify. Teaching your kids about giving and
receiving doesn't mean you can tell your kids to tell Aunt
Martha they can't "receive" her favorite fruitcake because it
exceeds the airline weight requirement for the trip home, and
that she should "give" it to the starving children in a foreign
country.
Let other family and extended family members know well
in advance of your holiday season plans. Explain that as a
family, you've decided to change your focus to things that can
make a difference for someone else. Perhaps that means there
will be less gift giving amongst family members and more to
needy families. Or perhaps it means you won't be spending every
available dollar on decorations and holiday parties, but rather
on things that will make your family truly understand and
appreciate the intent of the season. It is important to set the
example for all those extended family members. You'll be
surprised how others will follow your lead.....they just need
someone to show them the way.
As a family, evaluate all your scheduled holiday
activities. Only participate in those that you can honestly
say you're attending because they bring you joy and contribute
to your Christian holiday season. If, on the other hand, you're
dreading that party or that holiday event and only attend
because you feel pressure to meet the expectations of other
people, then perhaps it's time to let people in on your change
in direction. It may upset some people initially, but taking
back control of your holidays won't always make everyone else
happy. Pleasing God and keeping your sanity have got to have the
highest priority.
There will always be pressure from other people coming at you
from all directions during the holidays. Being a Christian at
Christmas means you have to fight your way through the noise to
get to all that's Christian about the season. The holiday season
is a great opportunity to let others see you "walk the walk" and
"talk the talk". Saying you're a Christian is one
thing........actually being one at Christmas....shows what
you're really made of.
Give other people a break. Putting pressure on
others to meet your expectations puts alot of unneccessary
stress on them because they're facing alot of what you're facing
during the holidiays. If people can't make it to your holiday
gathering, the world won't stop turning. Cutting people some
slack will go a long way toward doing what you can to help
others reduce their holiday stress level.
As a family, discuss your financial status and make a
commitment not to overspend. There is nothing Christian
about getting into debt just to satisfy a lot of unreasonable
demands and expectations. God always looks at motive, no
matter what you do. Now is the time to re-evaluate what you're
spending, and why you're spending it. It may not be easy to
change your overspending holiday habits, but it's better to take
small steps than none at all.
Of course, gift giving can mean alot of different things to alot
of different people. For example, in my family gift giving takes
the form of an olympic event. Having received belly-button
lights which my brother helpfully described as "great for
reading", and slippers made from Kotex pads, and oh yes....let's
not forget the talking fish that was already moving under the
wrapping paper before I even opened it.....well, let's just say
the attempts to out-give each other really do reach olympic
proportions.
I'm not really sure what God thinks about the motive in that
scenerio.....I'm just glad He has a sense of humor.
Being a "Christian at Christmas" has to be a deliberate,
concentrated effort. The world continues to get more and more
commercialized, so you can bet God will honor all your efforts
to keep the focus where it should be. And you can also bet He'll
appreciate your efforts to set the right example for your family
and friends.
For more help on this topic, go to Ways to Live Christian Priorities
Article "Finding a Christian at Christmas"
By Karen Wolff
Source http://www.goarticles.com/
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