Happy Holidays

Isn't it amazing how our mood and our priorities change throughout the year?

Once again the Holiday Season is upon us. All kinds of messages are being communicated from various sources. Our minds are under constant bombardment with all that we see, hear and read. 

Many folks seem to have more difficulty processing everything that is going on, especially at this time of year, and I can't help but wonder if it isn't the Holy Spirit at work, convicting us of our sin. 

What's that, you say? What makes me think that? I'm glad you asked! You see, two times a year church pews are generally filled to capacity. Easter and Christmas. Why? Can you say, "guilty conscience"? 

"The Holiday Season," consisting of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, brings a number of people that don't regularly attend church, back into the pews. Starting around Thanksgiving, church attendance begins to increase. Each Sunday in December, culminating at Christmas, the attendance ranks swell progressively. The Sunday before Christmas generally sees the largest congregation of the year. Then in January, the empty seats begin reappearing. By the time the Super Bowl rolls around, attendance is back to what it was before the holidays. Feelings of guilt have been assuaged. New Year's resolutions are already forgotten. Our biggest concern now is how we are going to pay for all the Christmas presents we ran up our credit cards with; what are we going to get our loved one at Valentines; how soon to St. Patrick's Day; how did April 15th get here so quickly; and finally, how much longer until Memorial Day and sunny summer skies?

Isn't it amazing how our mood and our priorities change throughout the year? Heck, even throughout the day! What was so important yesterday doesn't mean a thing today, because we're too worried about tomorrow. Rarely do we have truly good day, all day long. When we do, it was too short. But then, most days are too short to get done all that we had hoped to accomplish. Are they not? There just aren't enough hours in the day, money in the bank, or gifts under our tree at Christmastime. There does seem to be, however, plenty of bad moods, quick tempers, and long lines at the return counter.

So how do we deal with all this? Well, generally we blame someone or something for all our problems and difficulties. It’s easy and we’re really good at it. Best of all, it's painless! When we blame others, we don't have to look at our actions. We can blame our feeling the way we do on the other guy. He or She "made me feel that way!" Boy, we sure give other people a lot of power, don't we? At least, when it's convenient. The rest of the time we are filled with pride and bragging about how we accomplished this, that or the other thing in our life. 

We want the world to think that we can handle anything, ("I GOT THIS!") but we want to blame everyone and everything else for our problems -- including God. And with the exception that we already noted about Christmas and Easter, that's about all the time we actually give to God. Oh, yeah, let's not forget the ever popular "Foxhole Prayer." You know, that prayer we make when we are in a tight spot, asking God to get us out of a jam or when we really want something? We think nothing of asking Him to give us a hand. "Oh God, if you really love me, show me by granting me this one request. I promise I won't ask you for anything else and I promise I'll straighten my life around and start going to church regularly!" Yeah, right! How many times have you said that prayer?!

Is it really any wonder why it seems God so rarely answers our prayers? Look at our motive(s) behind the prayer(s)! We rarely thank him for all the things he has already given us and done for us. Like a little child, we are constantly and selfishly asking him for more. Oh sure, occasionally we will ask him to help out so-and-so, but aren't we really just hedging our bets; padding our bank account; fluffing our pillow? We treat God like a child treats Santa Claus. We believe in him as long as it suits us; we are good only when we want something; and when we are done, we forget all about him until the next time we want favor.

In the New Testament book of James, chapter four, we clearly see that when we live our life based on self-will, and refuse to submit ourselves to God, we never will be satisfied. James passionately urges us to submit our will and our life to God. He repeats what Jesus said time and again, that if we seek God in all that we do, God is faithful and will grant us grace. But if we continue to do things our own way, we are the one who is creating the great chasm (a marked division, separation, or difference) between ourselves and God -- not the other way around.

So the next time God seems colder and farther away than the North Pole, remember, He isn't Santa Claus! Perhaps if we stopped treating Him like he was, we might find He's just as close, just as warm and just as important to have in our life, as is the heart that beats inside us.

“I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly.”  

-- John 10:10b [Revised Standard Version]

PEACE!

Colorado Karl