By Trey Smith
It’s Christmas. It’s the time of year that hopefully we are reminded of the important things in life. The things that matter most: family, friends, generosity, our Lord and our relationship to him. These are the priorities that at some point in the past we decided are the most precious features in life. They are all connected to our walk with God.
Unfortunately Christmas is also the time of year that something else rises to the top as a bothersome focal point. It’s not one of the “spiritual” things that we want to reflect on and yet like it or not every year there it is…MONEY. In a culture where we have created that self-imposed noose of buying for everyone and their parrot we are naturally forced to reflect on money when we would probably rather relax and appreciate the more internally rewarding parts of life that only God offers. Instead it is not uncommon for some of us to be preoccupied with financial stress, especially this year when every news program is reminding us of recession. At a time when we would like to be at peace we are reminded of our financial strain. If we only had some helpful ideas for managing our finances!
Actually I do have one idea. (Brace yourself; this is revolutionary). Let’s start cultivating those previously mentioned priorities on a daily basis twelve months per year! Wow! That’s really good. Know what would happen? I’ll tell you. “MONEY” wouldn’t be an issue at Christmas (or at any time for that matter). It wouldn’t be as much of an issue because we would all have more financial stability. Consider my point from a different angle. Our problem isn’t the economy…it’s us! It’s not a lack of financial management skills. It’s a lack of contentment in our hearts! We want more stuff. We want more prosperity… all the time. As a result we actually don’t live out the priorities that we claim. Because of the culture-wide dysfunction we generally do not actualize Biblical values regarding money. We embody consumerist values and priorities. The result…we spend more money than we should. Period. End of analysis. We Americans are eaten up with wanting more and that’s the primary reason we have financial stress.
Interesting isn’t it? The financial woes often verbalized at this time of year aren’t actually financial. They’re spiritual! Some of the values we claim that the holidays are all about are the very ones we neglect during the other eleven months. The result? A financial noose around our neck.
Consider Matthew 6:19-21. You will not find better financial advice anywhere. Here we find the all too familiar tug of war between a desire for God and a desire for money. Nestled within the very middle of the passage is verse 21….”for wherever your treasure is there will your heart be also.” My heart is the key to my getting into financial trouble or staying out of it! If my heart is constantly dwelling among the heavenly priorities I’m not going to be lured into spending money irresponsibly. Why? Because my desire for “stuff” will be greatly diminished. Now, how do I cultivate that kind of heart? Simple. Read the verse. My treasure (my time, my energies and my focus) must be directed in the pursuit of heavenly priorities. The more I live these out and cultivate a relationship with my Savior the less I want for anything else. The more I want Him the less I want “things”.
We started this article by stating that Christmas is a time to reflect on the things that matter most. If that’s what I want to enjoy during this sacred season I’d best pursue and cultivate that lifestyle 365 days a year.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Trey,
Wow! My new favorite RAL post! So many great truths:
> “Our problem isn’t the economy…it’s us! It’s not a lack of financial management skills. It’s a lack of contentment in our hearts!”
Simple and practical financial management skills go a long way in helping build a strong financial house. However, its being at peace with what we got and losing our desire for more that is the glue that keeps it held together. Unfortunately, many of us (myself included) have made Christmas a time to take a vacation from God’s wisdom.
Sadly, Christmas is often an excuse for Christians to blame our lustful materialism on Jesus. Like a Las Vegas Weekend for Believers, we ride a plane to Santa City, doing our best to ignore the fact that what we’re doing is wrong. We blow all our money on things we pretend will bring us joy, all the while knowing they will burden and distract us from it. Afterward, we suffer guilt, shame, and “broke”nness, all the while quietly asking ourselves, “Why did I do this again?”
And next year its wash, rinse, repeat.
> “My heart is the key…If my heart is constantly dwelling among the heavenly priorities I’m not going to be lured into spending money irresponsibly.
This applies to so many of life’s challenges –not just financial. When I stop focusing so much on a problem (whether wallowing in it or working to fix it) and instead focus on what Christ wants of me (BTW, He wants all of me.), then God seems to take care of those “little” problems on His own. For example, since I stopped focusing so much on suffering through or even working to improve an unhealthy marriage and instead focused on being the man God wants me to be, many aspects of my life have improved –including my relationship with my wife. While not perfect (whose is?), it sure keeps getting better!
> “Some of the values we claim that the holidays are all about are the very ones we neglect during the other eleven months.”
Churches know this. Shelters know this. All nonprofits know this. Every year it’s a couple weeks of crisis managing all us Good Samaritans that come out of the woodwork like Knights in Shining Armor riding in to save the day! Then they spend the rest of the year wondering, “Where did everybody go?!”
We Christians love to whine year after year about how we need to put “Christ” back into Christmas! Maybe instead we should work toward eliminating Christmas altogether. In other words, maybe it’s past time for us to stop getting all psycho about one day, all the nonsense leading up to it, and all the letdown and regret afterward?
Instead, maybe we should concentrate on making Christmas “just another average day” of living the lives Christ wants us to live. After all, which is the better way to love, honor, and adore the Greatest Gift ever Given? By getting all sentimental over His arrival once a year? Or is it to live every day giving ourselves away like he taught us and asks us to do?
That’s what I’m trying to do.