Christmas is a great time of year for many. It's a fun time to give and receive gifts and spend time with our families. However, somewhere along the way Christmas has turned into the Holiday of More. I am not against having more, but getting more can get us into problems. Rarely do we think more will cause more headaches for us.
For the last few weeks we have been bombarded with advertisements, sales, and extra store hours so that we can pursue more. Now I am all for whiter teeth, closer shaves, cleaner laundry, and discounted prices.
But do we really need more? Lucifer thought he needed more and it led him to rebel against God. Adam and Eve went after more when they ate from the tree. Israel constantly wanted more. Dissatisfaction ultimately led a downfall.
Yet how many of us contemplate the negatives of getting and striving for more and more.
In fact, one of the fascinating things about the holiday season is that right after Christmas we once again slam the stores in search of more sales. The chase continues as we pursue even more.
More gets us into trouble. The two biggest examples are debt and obesity.
While things and stuff and toys and gadgets get all the attention there are at least three things we could use more of.
Family-It's fun to reconnect, share old stories, open presents, and sit around the dinner table. Personally I'll miss seeing Rachel this year during the holidays. When you have five kids schedules do not always work out, especially with her living in Pittsburgh. Last Christmas she was in South Korea.
Friends-This is popular time of year for parties and get togethers. These can be extremely uplifting for those from broken homes.
Faith-December is a good time to set aside extra time for prayer and reflection on Jesus, His birth and the Christmas Story, and the New Year, 2012.
So this holiday season it's fine to buy and exchange gifts. Yes, that will result in you having more. But hopefully it will be more as the result of love and not covetousness.