I truly believe that the greatest problem facing the North American church is that the people who call themselves a part of it do not look significantly different than those who are on the outside. We have been called to a radically different life than most of society and yet we (yes I am keenly aware this includes me) simply go on living the same life as everyone else with the exception that I got to church regularly. For a really great book on this read Unchristian.
As I think about how my own life needs to change in order to reflect the radical transformation that I know Christ calls me to and enables me for my love for material things is a hugely practical way that I can change. God really started to speak to me about this about a month ago. I'm taking some practical steps to be more in line with where I think he wants me to be. However, when I watched this video I was really convicted. I think Christmas would look much differently for my family if I'd seen this a few months ago (yay for being on top of shopping and budgeting this year...boo for not listening more closely to God).
Gets you right in the gut huh? So what are you going to do about it? It'd be great to hear some ways we can all see Christmas differently or how you've already been taking steps to remove the love of things from your life.
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THANK YOU for posting this Tim.
ReplyDeleteI needed the reminder today. I too, have finished buying all my christmas presenets and am now working on those I plan on making. Which is harder to do, frankly.
This year, I am making an advent calendar for my daughter - each day has a little parcel with the verse we will read together at dinner in it, and a tag with an activity her and I will get to do that day that I have planned in advance, such as bake cookies, take out the nativity set and build bethlehem out of blocks, make our own wrapping paper, make bird feeders out of pine cones, invite friends over for a meal she helps me prepare, etc. I hope I can pull of this sort of advent calendar. Thanks for the extra push to see this as worthwhile.
I haven't watched the video yet, but I will. First I just wanted to say that praying that you will look "radically different" than the world is as dangerous as praying for the Lord to ruin you. How do you think we were praying when we started having children?.....you just never know in which area He is going to ask you to look different.
ReplyDeleteHah. Well thanks for the warning. In all honesty though I simply don't want to care at all about the consequences. They are far worse than people living in a world who don't know God because I won't show them what that looks like. May the Lord be as rough on me as He wills!
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