Thursday, December 1, 2011

Contemplation?

 Jeremiah 2:17–19 -
     Have you not brought this on yourself,
     In that you have forsaken the LORD your God
     When He led you in the way?
     ...Your own wickedness will correct you,
     And your backslidings will rebuke you.
     Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing
     That you have forsaken the LORD your God,
     And the fear of Me is not in you,”
     Says the Lord GOD of hosts.

Pretty harsh words the prophet Jeremiah speaks. I mentioned not too long ago that Jeremiah was named the weeping prophet because his heart was so saddened by Israel's turning away from the God that had provided for them. Bear with me as my thoughts bounce  around!

Our pastor, Rory Grooters, mentioned briefly last night that although we sometimes think we have brought ourselves provision, it is ultimately God who does. It just depends on one's understanding. He is the One who has created us and gifted us. We really cannot take credit for it. But who do we give credit to, ultimately?

Last week we had Black Friday. The phrase itself conjures up, at least in my mind, something akin to a plague. I thought about the thousands of people willing to stand in line in the dead of night for those bargains the day after Thanksgiving. I think about the injuries involved. Total madness!! I think even more about how retailers are profiting even when we think we have gotten a bargain. 

Those thoughts reminded me of the money changers in Christ's day, the bankers of that time. It angered Jesus. He threw them out. He shouted. He called them thieves. These money changers could charge whatever they desired to make a profit. Hmmmm, sounds familiar. When is enough enough?

But it’s not just about the retail business. We have become a society of selfishness. Period. Selfishness is a sin. Period. Me, me, me. Are these purchases needs or wants? I'm just as guilty here, so this time of contemplation is for me as well. I cannot cast the first stone!

When did this time of year change from a time of contemplating Christmas to a shop till you drop mentality? When did Christ get shoved aside for self? Oh, I know some are shopping for that perfect gift for friends and family, but does anyone walk away without that perfect want of their own? I've heard and read that this is always the most stressful time of year with all the galavanting to shop! It should be the most peaceful...contemplating Christ and His glorious birth. It's what we make of it.

When did Christ get removed from Christmas? Today it's no more to some than that holiday we so cringe to hear about. It's not so much about contemplating Christ. I will probably say this every year. So I guess the word holiday is quite appropriate for today. 

A sure sign that the last days are at hand. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud...(2Timothy 3:2). One day He will return and those who ignored Him will be ignored by Him. We have been fully warned repeatedly throughout the Bible. It's what we choose to want to hear...it's all about choice.

What's more important, our spiritual life or this life on earth? Some might say live it up now because a day will come when we cannot. But God/Jesus' view is just the opposite. It's the eternal life we are to live for. Eternal life does not come with selfishness today. It comes with self-sacrifice.

Do we want the earthly things today that rust and moth destroy or do we want those things that will never fade because they are rooted and grounded in Christ? It takes time and effort to know the things of God. It takes a willingness and time to do that so we will not hear: Matthew 7:22-23 - Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

"You and I can open our minds to hear the great and unsearchable things we do not know, things like the Incarnation that we may never fully understand but are always invited to know further. Or we can simply look for all of Christmas to correspond with societal whims and unconscious distractions." - Jill Carattini, managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias international Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia. Yes, we MUST open our minds to seek the true meaning of Christmas, to see Christ in it.

I've been out and about the past couple of days, preparing my own table for a women's event. As I've been chasing I've been questioning my own Christmas motives. We will not be home for Christmas this year so decorating, putting up a tree or all the necessities of Christmas decorations are not a priority. I'm not against any of these things, but my thoughts this year have been, What if we didn't have all this stuff to do Christmas? Would the true meaning be greater or less? Where is Christ in the Christmas tree and ornaments and flashing lights? Can't we celebrate His humble birth without all the glitz and glitter, without being the first on the block to get their house lit up, tree lighted and decorated, the shopping done and the cookies baked? Do we really need all this?? But I still give in a bit...

I know I could handle Christmas without all this. It's about contemplating His birth. It’s about sitting at His feet like Mary while Martha "slaved" in the kitchen. (If you don’t know the story click here for an explanation.) It's about contemplating why it was so important that He be born humbly. It's not about trees, lights, tons of presents. It's about Him.

Maybe I sound like Scrooge this year, but I guarantee I'm not. I DO have gifts to buy or make. I do have baking to do. I will succumb to a handful of decorations, but this year they will be reminders of Christ. Peace, joy, love...keeping Christ in Christmas...I'm even going so far as to get the star of Bethlehem situated on our driveway lamp post today. 

This is just how I feel this year. I want to contemplate even more about Jesus, give out His love this season. I want to thank Him that, as Pastor also prayed last night, He as the Creator became the Created.

Let us not forsake the LORD our God this Christmas season. Let us draw near to Him that He might draw near to us...as families and a nation...that He would not depart from us but He would recognize that we have not forsaken Him. If we have backslidden, there’s still time to turn around. Wickedness, too, can be forgiven. Let’s let go of selves and grab hold of Jesus. It all starts with first our own heart change.

Let us dig deeper into our own knowledge of Him and embrace Him into our lives. Let us truly seek Him for our eternal lives over this earthly life. He came to earth to be the reconciliation between our Heavenly Father and us. He was born with the intent to one day die for our sins. While we celebrate His birth, let us consciously think on why He did this. Let us be thankful He came from Heaven to come to this sin filled earth...just for us.

The LORD watched over His people Israel so long ago until they abandoned Him. Let us not be that same generation today in our inability to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the One for whom this season is all about. He came to earth to lead us to our Heavenly home. Does He do this for you today? Read the following scripture by adding “me” instead of “him” and make it present tense. Is this you? Contemplate...

Deuteronomy 32:10 - He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye...

No comments:

Post a Comment