NOW! Spoiled.

Each Christmas I come to a point where I’ve just had enough.  I often get accused of being scrooge or grinch or something along those derogatory lines.  I’m not one for embracing the glitz and glamor of the sparkling lights, the never ending Christmas songs that overtake the radio stations, or the insane cycle of giving gifts just because I received a gift.  As you can see by this description… the names applied to me get pretty close to accurate by the American Culture standards.

But let me state my case.  I’m spoiled.

I live in a country that is among the top 8% in total worldwide wealth.  I eat 3 times daily (sometimes more… especially at Christmas).  I take a warm shower each day, I have a safe and comfortable home that I live in, I drive a decent vehicle that requires no repair work, I have a good job, I drink clean water, I’m surrounded by friends, I was raised by parents who love me, and above all… my wife and daughter accept me for who I am.

I AM spoiled.

As I eat my Christmas dinner with people who love me, there are countless numbers who struggle to make it through another day.  And because of our outward display of excess in the holiday season… we unintentionally place pressure on those around us to “keep up”.  Just go to a school after the Christmas break and listen to the children talk about “what they got for Christmas”.

I guess I’m a little like Charlie Brown… the commercial aspect of Christmas just turns me off.  We lose ourselves in the celebration and pay the price after its all over (just look at the credit card industry in January… they are booming).

Don’t get the wrong idea, I do put on a happy face for my wife and daughter.  For my wife, Christmas is all about the joy and attitude that comes with the holiday and for my 8 year old daughter… the magic still exists with ole St. Nick.  I don’t want to ruin that for either of them.  I do enjoy the happiness and joy that the holiday brings… and I like celebrating Christmas for the holiday aspect of it and for the joy of Christ in it.

Oddly enough, I am happy that a spotlight is focused on my spoiled lifestyle.  I remember that Christ came for us to have life and have it more abundantly (not with material… but with joy).  I remember that He gave the gift of life… which I will never be able to repay.  Christ gives us a picture of what “Christmas” looks like.

I want you to know that I’m not painting myself as a suffering saint… it’s just that during Christmas I am more aware of the needs around me.  Celebrating Christ’s birth should come with eyes wide open.  One of the true gifts of Christmas is the new found awareness of those around us and the needs that exist today… just like they existed in October… and like they will still exist in March.

I take comfort in Christmas knowing that our hearts are softer.  We give more to those in need… and we are aware of what it really means to be Christian men when we open our hearts and give just a little bit of ourselves to our families, our friends, and our “neighbors”.

YES… WE ARE ALL SPOILED.  But like the Rich Young Ruler… if those things that “spoil you” are more important than your relationship with God… you better go sell it all before you lose your life.

However, here is the joy and the good word that I want you to hear.  It’s this time of year that we all move closer to what it means to be Christian!  The love you feel in your heart, the attitude you have toward others, the time you spend with your family, the generosity that overwhelms you…  this is what it looks like to be a Christian!  This is what salvation is all about!  This is the yoke that Christ tells us is easy and light!  Get it?  Christmas is a time to recenter our lives on Christ and understand what giving really means to your faith.

Don’t you wish everyday was just like Christmas?  If you are a Christian… everyday should look like Christmas.  If it doesn’t… then you need to hit your knees and ask God to show you.

So… when someone asks you… what is being a Christian all about?  Just tell them… “you know that generous feeling you get at Christmas?  And do you know how the joy in your life changes during Christmas celebration?  And do you know that unexplained joy you have in giving something that you sacrificed all year at work to make money… and buy… so you could give?  That is what being a follower of Jesus Christ looks like.”  At the end of the day, we must remember that being a follower of Christ means that you love God with every fiber of your being and you love your neighbors as yourself.  All of the other “heapings” of religion and dogma just don’t matter.  Start with loving your Neighbor and you will find that you are pleasing God… isn’t that Christian?  And doesn’t that look strangely like Christmas?  Yep.

Oh… and you know that last breath you just took?  You’re spoiled.

Let’s commit ourselves to celebrating Christmas year round.  Let’s keep our hearts open and retain the joy of life that Christ has given us!

Enjoy Christmas celebrations for what it is… and be thankful that it renews our heart and gives us a picture of what the entire faith story looks like.  Make a commitment each day to give to someone who is need and serve others around you.  After all… wouldn’t you like everyone to be spoiled just a little bit?

Peace,
Greg
Acts 4:31

PS:  Keep your eyes open for Christmas 360 – hopefully this post points you toward what it will be about.  Our project that will launch soon.

About

Welcome, and thanks for dragging yourself over to Live|Bold! My name is Greg Arnold and I am pumped to see you here. This interactive online community is here to point every man toward the cross. Whether you have been a follower of Christ for ages, or you are just stumbling into this strange new world of faith, we have something of value to offer you. This online e-zine is a cross between a blog, a social network, a resource center, and a pulpit. My hope is to inspire you to live your faith on the outside and be a real man for God. We need you in the fight.