Contentment at Christmastime
As the heart of the holiday season approaches, like a jet liner approaching the final runway, it’s time for your pre-flight safety check. Just as the friendly stewardess reminds you to fasten your seatbelt before departure, let's remind ourselves to check our level of contentment before we lift off into Christmas.
You see, in November you claimed to be grateful. You thanked God for the things, people, and even challenges in your life at Thanksgiving. But in December, your gratefulness is be tested.
In November you say you are grateful to God, but your gratefulness will be tested greatly in December.
One catalog, promotional email, social media ad, billboard, storefront, Christmas party, family gathering at a time will test your contentment with Christ.
There’s nothing wrong with family and friends. There’s nothing wrong with giving and receiving gifts – within your means. But there's something wrong when you view these people and do these things at Christmastime as a coping mechanism.
Here’s how it works. We go through hard times from January to November. Then we look to the experiences of the Christmas holidays as an emotional, material, and social lift to get us to get us through and to end the year on a high note. This mindset, however, can be a subtle form of covetousness and discontent.
How does this turn out? Not so good. We ride the emotional highs and lows of the season, only to be let down by January 1st like everyone else.
Instead, we should enjoy the Christmas season with a heart that needs nothing more because we’re completely content with Christ already.
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." So that we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."
Hebrews 13:5-6
We should be able to look at the holiday season from beginning to end and say, “I have Jesus. I have enough already.”
