My Valentine to All

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." -- 1 John 4:10 (NKJV)

I have been single, and I have been married. I am now a widow, which technically, is single again. One thing has never changed in all that time: God's love. He loved me first, before I ever knew or cared about Him. And God is so huge that He loved not only me, but also every single soul on the planet--past, present, and future. None of us ever has to feel slighted; He's got more than enough love to share with each person. It's amazing! This love is not like the pitiful expressions of love that us human beings display toward one another. It is very different, and I guess that is what can make it hard to receive. But the more that I have learned about God's love, the more I have found that every other love pales in comparison. That love, God's love, is what I wish to share with all on this Valentine's Day, no matter what situation you may find yourself in.

The Best Government Increase

There seems to be a lot of talk these days, especially here in the United States, about the increasing role of the government in the lives of its citizens. The government wants to tell us what to eat, what to watch, what to say (or not to say), how to spend money, etc., etc. I haven't met too many people that are happy about it. In fact, I think it's safe to say that most people want to see government decrease rather than increase.

But what if there were a government whose increase was a good thing? What if there was a government that did the absolute right thing 100% of the time? And what if that same government caused its citizens to do right things all the time? What if there was a government that was absolutely just and impartial, one that would protect the innocent and punish the guilty? What if there was a government leader who so cared for his people that he would literally die for them to provide what they truly needed? By now I'm sure you're thinking that I've gone absolutely nuts--there can't possibly be such a government! But I have some great news. It does exist! Take a look at this passage of Scripture. You may recognize it, because it is often quoted around this time of year:

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."--Isaiah 9:6, 7

The child that Isaiah talks about here is Jesus, the very one whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. His government is available to anyone and everyone who wants Him as leader in their lives. And along with the wonderful increase of His government, there is also an increase of peace. What earthly government is truly able to give you that? I leave you with an invitation from the Leader Himself:

(Jesus speaking) "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."--Matthew 11:28

Yes, You Better Watch Out

Oh, I know not very many people will like me after this posting. I may even receive my first hate mail. But I'm passionate about sharing truth. Before I get started on the Santa Claus issue, though, let me make a disclaimer: this post is directed to those who profess to believe in God of the Bible and who profess to follow the Jesus that Christmas celebrates. If you are not a believer, you are "free" to believe what you wish...although I pray that you may come to know and embrace Truth.

Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, let me get to the heart of the matter. This is another truth that hit me hard as I was listening to some Christmas carols recently (I am getting beat up quite a bit this holiday season, but it's all good). We all have heard this one, right?

"You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry,
You'd better not pout, I'm tellin' you why,
Santa Claus is coming to town..."

So far, so good. I don't see any problems with a big, fat guy in a red suit coming to town for a visit...

"He sees you when you're sleeping;
He knows when you're awake.
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness' sake...."

Whoa. Let's hit the pause button for a second there. What kind of qualities are we attributing to this jolly, old fellow? I have listened to this carol for years, and I guess I never really grasped what we've turned the Santa Claus figure into...until now. It seriously disturbs me, especially when I start to hold it up to the light of God's Word. Now I can almost see the eyes starting to roll and to feel the indignation pouring through my computer screen as people read that last statement. What's wrong with Santa Claus? He's just a harmless little thing, and you're out to spoil it for all the little kids. I know, I know. I'm trampling on some supposedly sacred ground here. But is this belief in Santa Claus a truly harmless thing, especially for those who claim to believe in God?

Let's take a look at the first claim in this Christmas carol: "He sees you when you're sleeping; he knows when you're awake..." Huh, that sounds pretty similar to what I read in Psalm 139:1-3: "O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways." Now, did you catch that? Read it again s-l-o-w-l-y. This carol highlights some essential beliefs about Santa Claus that put him on equal footing with God. Think about that for a second or two. I don't know how Santa Claus feels about that, but I DO know how God feels.

"I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another."--Isaiah 42:8

In other words, God is not about to share the stage with anyone. Not even Mr. Claus.

While you mull over that, let's take a look at Santa's second claim to fame: "He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness' sake..." Again, this idea sounds familiar. Jeremiah 17:10--"I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." So here we have both Santa and God making a judgment on a person's behavior and rewarding him accordingly. I'm not really sure where Santa draws the line between good and bad. In the movie "A Christmas Story", the main character abandons his friend in an emergency, beats up a bully, curses, and lies to his mother (about where he learned the curse word). He wonders all along if he will be able to get the present he's requested. Christmas comes, and the present is there. Whew! He made the cut apparently. God's standard, on the other hand, is written out very precisely in the Bible. He doesn't leave us in any suspense about where we stand: we've ALL failed His good/bad test.

"As it is written: 'There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.'"--Romans 3:10-12 and Psalms 14:1-3

No wonder Santa is so popular.

Having said all this, I come back to my earlier question. Is believing in Santa Claus truly harmless? As believers is it something that we can teach kids and expect that they will outgrow or leave behind at a certain age? I don't think so. I read an article back in August that referenced the National Study of Youth and Religion. In the study teenagers who identified themselves as Christian had a hard time articulating their beliefs. Could this difficulty come from confusion between Santa Claus and God? I don't know for sure, and I'm not sure that the study even goes there. It does make me wonder if there isn't a connection, though. The Bible is very clear about not mixing other stuff in with God. In the spirit of Hebrews 3:13, I encourage my fellow believers in the body of Christ to seriously consider this issue and seek the Lord about it.

"Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,..."--Joshua 24:14, 15a

The Black Friday Irony

So I'm reading my email this morning and all the messages seem to be from stores running Black Friday sales. As I found myself starting to make a mental note of things to purchase, the bitter irony of the day hit me smack in the forehead. I just spent all of yesterday being thankful for what I have. Why am I suddenly tossing all that out the window and experiencing this discontent? Am I crazy? What changed in the last 24 hours? Answer: absolutely nothing except that I paid attention to the advertisements that convince me I will be missing something by not participating in the annual shopping ritual called Black Friday.

Don't get me wrong--in past years I've been out there just like everyone else. It used to be a favorite thing that I would do with my sister and father when I was growing up. I think I enjoyed being part of the crowds and soaking in the holiday atmosphere. Sure there was some window shopping for myself and also taking care of a few items on my Christmas list. But nowadays I find myself experiencing more and more disgust for this push to acquire stuff--stuff for myself, stuff for friends, stuff for family, stuff for co-workers, stuff for the dog...stuff, stuff, STUFF! Ugh! Is this what we've turned Christmas into? When does it end?

Maybe it's because I'm in smaller living quarters. I don't have room for more stuff. Or maybe it's because I'm tired of sorting through stuff. I don't have the energy to keep going through things and deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. I suspect, however, that my growing aversion to stuff has more to do with my perspective on life. It's been changing in the last few years as God has graciously opened my eyes to the reality of eternity. The stuff loses a lot of its shine when it is viewed in terms of its eternal value.

So I find myself asking: Have I had a quality conversation with a friend or family member? Do my niece and nephew know that I love them? Do my co-workers need to hear what Christmas is truly about, that Jesus Christ came to love them and to die for them so that they could have a personal relationship with the God of the universe? Those things would last much longer than the newest phone, the hottest toys, or the office gift exchange. Make no mistake; it will still cost me--conversations, expressions of affection, and sharing the gospel all take me and my time. But if I'm willing to give some of that, I could give the people around me something that will last far beyond Black Friday and December 25th...and they won't have to find a space for it.