Make Christmas Meaningful: Thoughts on Turning Your Holiday Focus Outward

You know that great song from he 80s. ( I know... there weren't many.) It was by BAND AID, and they sold the song to raise a lot of money to help needy people in other countries.

My wife hates it, only because musically, it's a bit cheesy... and I'll agree with her on that point. But regardless the style of the art, the song itself is one of those "world shakers". It's one of those things that if you're standing just the wrong way, it comes and kicks you in between the legs...

All around us, especially in places like Africa, but even in places like your own hometown, there are people in need. Some of them in desperate need.

When the holidays hit, the television, the radio, the store shelves are immediately converted into an enticing opportunity for us to get distracted... to get off track... to get focused on ANYTHING other than where God wants us.

Sounds like a familiar strategy from a familiar enemy. Who would have thought the devil would be in Christmas? Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to give him more credit than he deserves, I'm just pointing out that the attitudes and spending habits of American "Christians" is anything but "Christian" around Christmas time.

"What are you talking about? Christmas always stirs up the giving spirit in me?"

Oh really? Who are you giving to? Are you spending thousands or hundreds of dollars for Christmas at your house? Buying toys and socks and jewelry for the people in your own house, and the people you love the most? Sure, they deserve your best.

But what about the other people that live either a block or a world away that don't even really have the money to buy Christmas dinner?

"But the Salvation Army and Toys for Tots takes care of them. I put a toy in the bin a couple years ago. And I always put my change in the red kettle."

Oh, did you? What are you doing this year?

"I can't afford to give."

Neither could Jesus, but when he acted in faith, five loaves and a couple fish fed a few thousand people. And six hours of his own torture redeemed billions of people.

He sacrificed everything, for people that didn't even like him, and some that will never like him.

Are you willing to sacrifice? Or are you still worried about getting your kids another stupid video game system that only rots their brain anyway. Or are you going into debt making sure that your Christmas celebration is perfect?

It's time for us to step up... To re-evaluate our holiday plans. To examine where we put our time, energy, and money this Christmas. Are we going to give expensive gifts to people who don't really need them?

The Hatcher family plan looks like this. We look at how much we have to spend on Christmas, and divy it up. Usually, we say five dollars each for stocking stuffers at the Dollar Tree, and then the kids buy everyone a dollar gift. Then we take the remainder, which is usually about 30 or 40 bucks each, and buy three gifts for each person in the family. We try to follow a "frankincense, gold, and myrrh" model.

Frankincense: A type of incense used to worship. (So we get a gift that helps that person worship, like a bible, a worship CD, or a Veggie Tale video for the younger ones)
Gold: A Valuable precious metal. (So we get something valuable to that person, like a favorite toy or movie
Myrrh: A burial spice. (So we get a gift with purpose... something practical like underwear, or clothing.)

Sometimes other people will give us money for Christmas, and we might buy a few gifts for the kids from that person, or from "Santa" if the person was anonymous, but we don't go overboard.

We always work together as a family to make gifts for our extended family like grandma's and grampa's. They already have everthing anyway, so a homemade gift is ideal.

If your family wants to give a gift overseas, Samaritan's Purse has an online Gift Catalog, where you can purchase chickens, bibles, cows, emergency medical kits, even education for doctors to help kids in empoverished cultures meet their basic needs. Click here to find out more.

What I'm saying is, let's remember this Christmas that or own families do deserve our love and attention... but we should be giving that all year round. Let's keep our celebrations simple this year, so that we can make a sacrifice, and help those around us to really know the joy we have in Christ.