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The Christmas Tug-O-War
John Tilton1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
In those Biblical times, John pointed out the tug-o-war that takes place for believers of Jesus Christ that face the pull between things of the world and the will of God. John implores those of that time not to succumb to lust of the fleshly desires; the materialistic things we see covet with our eyes and the human carnal emotional and mental propensity to think of prideful and self, first before the will of God. John did remind the people the simple and profound answer of believing and doing the will of God.
It is indeed such a tug-o-war during the Christmas season where tradition prompts us to get caught up in gifts and celebrations. However, gifts and celebrations usually do not focus on the reason for the Christmas season being the birth of Jesus, when you look at society as a whole and all that goes on. Yes, Christian believers of Christ know what the Bible says and what transpired in Christ’s birth and what He would be called on to do in giving His life. However, we too walk that tight rope of putting Christ in His rightful place and not getting too caught up in the shopping for gifts and celebrations.
On this Christmas Day, I want to take a moment to remind us all and speak to the choir and myself that we remember the true reason for the season; the birth of Jesus Christ, sent by God to save us. Thus, may we remember, understand and balance our dedication to the will of God the supersede all of the wonderful traditions of Christmas, but to put Christ first in our lives by loving Christ first and more then we let our eyes, flesh and pride desire and love the things of the world.
Dear Lord, thank you for Jesus. Dear Jesus, thank you that you came to take my sin from me by giving your life. I celebrate the true reason for this season in you and pray that my first love will always be to you. May you enable me to be in the world, but not of the world and not to love the things of this world before you, even if they are tradition and culturally approved.
