The Real Meaning of Christmas

As I head down to Baltimore to celebrate Christmas with my family, I can’t help but reminisce on all the things that have taken place throughout the year and how good God has been to Michele and me. We may not have always gotten everything we wanted, but through it all, He’s given us joy, peace, and love for one another and our family and friends. That’s why I’m grateful to Him and why I celebrate Him during this Christmas season!

The other day, Michele and I had a talk about whether we would teach our kids to believe in Santa Claus. I was a little apprehensive approaching her about it just because I didn’t know how she would respond. Would she be adamant about teaching our kids about Santa Claus? I was pretty adamant myself about not, so what would happen if we disagreed?

Fortunately for me, we ended up being on the same page. As Christians, we didn’t want our kids growing up believing in some imaginary old, fat white guy who would bring them presents on Christmas! To us, Christmas shouldn’t be about receiving presents. It should be about giving, and as such, we want to instill a spirit of giving in our kids. We want to encourage them to give to those who are less fortunate on Christmas. To give some of their clothes to the homeless or to make toys for underprivileged kids. The way we see it, they’ll have the rest of the year to get gifts from us. But the purpose and focus of Christmas should be to give. That is, the essence of Christmas is found in John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish but have everlasting life!

So, what have we turned Christmas into? A day when we literally kill each other (see this year’s Black Friday) to get a good deal? A day when we get all stressed out trying to buy gifts for everyone on our list? Is that what Christmas is supposed to be about?

So as you celebrate Christmas this year, I encourage you to give to someone else. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive. You can give your time or a talent. If you sing, maybe you could write a song for someone. If you sew, maybe you can sew a scarf for someone. Whatever it is, all of us have something to give. It just takes a little shift in perspective and a refocus on what’s important.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

God bless,
J.W.

Amnesia

Often times, as human beings, we get amnesia. We get all caught up in the hustle and bustle of the craziness that is our lives and we forget. We forget the past – all the things that God has done for us. We forget the promises – all the things God has promised us in His Word. And most of all, we forget His goodness – the fact that God loves us and, as our Heavenly Father, wants what is best for us.

But here’s where the dilemma lies – we want what’s best for us and God wants what’s best for us. But often times, what God thinks is best for us and what we think is best for us doesn’t agree. For instance, we might have our heart set on a particular job for which we’ve applied. We’ve gone through the application process, we’ve had the interview, we’ve met with the hiring manager, and, in our mind, we’ve made a good impression. To us, the job’s in the bag. Then, we get that call telling us they’ve decided to go with another candidate. Out of nowhere, we’re hit with overwhelming disappointment and rejection. It feels as if God has just pulled the rug right out from under us. Feelings of anger, resentment, and depression come over us as a result of our let down. And we forget. We get amnesia.

But while the world is telling us that we’re not good enough, that nobody likes us, and that nothing good will ever happen, the Word tells us that God is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,” (Ephesians 3:20) that “my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19) and that if you would “delight yourself also in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

So who are you going to believe today? Are you going to believe the world, with its deception and lies, or the Word, with its power and wisdom? Are you going to focus on what your circumstances tell you or what God has promised you? Because whatever you focus on is what will come to pass in your life.

I, for one, choose the latter.

God bless,
J.W.

Step Out

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Deep, right?

I know. I wish I would have come up with it, but, unfortunately, these words are not mine. They belong to the late great Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In the quote above, Dr. King gives us a clear definition of what faith is. Faith, according to him, is the ability to do something when it doesn’t make sense to. It’s the ability to trust God when our circumstances tell us not to. It’s what Peter did when he stepped out of the boat and walked on water to Jesus. Or what Abraham did when God told him to leave his home to go to an unknown land.

You see, as human beings, we are constantly striving to be in control. It’s a natural part of who we are. When we were created, God himself commanded us to have dominion over the things around us. So, it’s natural for us to want to control our surroundings.

The problem is that we forget where the source of power comes from. We think we control our own lives and destinies. Despite what the world tells us, true power does not come from our own abilities, but rather from those given to us by God. In fact, ironically, true power and control doesn’t come through being the toughest, smartest, fastest, strongest, etc. Rather, they come through characteristics typically considered to be weak – humility, submission, and meekness.

See, Dr. King's quote hits on something that many of us have not learned. As much as we try to plan out our own destinies, ultimately, we are not in control. God is. No matter how hard we try, we will never know enough, plan enough, prepare enough, or be strong enough to handle every storm that comes our way. There will always be situations that arise that we will not be able to handle on our own. It is God’s way of showing us that we are not Him. We cannot do everything by ourselves. In fact, we cannot do anything by ourselves.

But that’s where faith comes in. Like Dr. King said, “faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” It’s trusting in God even when our own minds tell us not to. It’s doing what He tells you to do even when it doesn’t make sense to do so. This is what we mean when we say “stepping out on faith.” And here is where true power lies.

God bless,

J.W.

He Who Has Ears...

A few weeks ago, Michele and I were watching an episode of Dr. Phil in which they were discussing the recent passage of Proposition 8 in California that prohibited gay couples to marry. In watching the show, what was disturbing to me was not the fact that the bill was passed, not the fact that gay rights activists are now protesting a democratically-elected piece of legislation, but rather the fact that here you had two parties, one in favor of the bill and one opposing the bill, sitting across from each other, intent on simply hurling insults at each other. Neither side would listen to the other. Rather, it was all about simply stating your own position and fighting against what the other side had to say.

In my opinion, this is what the American people are tired of. This is the reason that John McCain, Sarah Palin and the entire Republican Party lost this election. People are tired of arguments and constantly placing the blame on others. Rather, people want to see action. They want to see us working together to find common ground so that we can solve the tough problems that we are facing today.

That is the spirit that President-Elect Obama tapped into during his campaign. In fact, today, I learned that a lot of this ability grew out of what Obama learned as a community organizer in studying the organizing practices and techniques of famed organizing mastermind Saul Alinsky. In his first book, Reveille for Radicals, Alinsky insisted that organizers “begin by listening and learning the mores, history, and values of any community they work in. Their work is not to convert,” he argued, “but rather to help draw out the democratic potentials in any community.” Called “relational organizing,” it was the same technique upon which Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the SCLC built their Civil Rights Movement and the same technique that President-Elect Obama used to turn this country from a 51%-49% nation into a 60%-40% nation. As Thelma Craig put it, if the goal is culture change, then the strategic objective should be to get to 80% - not 50% - of the people.

That’s why, today, I’m tired of hearing the rants of people like Keith Olbermann and Arianna Huffington on the left, and Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity on the right, who simply toe the party line and either fail to see or simply ignore the absurdities of their own ideology. I’m tired of hearing gay rights advocates tell me that people of the Christian faith are gay-bashers and homophobes, while those who claim to follow Christ try to convince me that gay people don’t deserve equal rights simply because their lifestyle is different than theirs. We may not agree on everything, but if we would just stop talking and listen more, we may find that there are certain concessions that we each can make in order to find a solution with which each side can live. The old saying that God gave us one mouth and two ears so that we could listen twice as much as we speak reigns true. There’s value in listening. Try it. You might learn something.

Give Thanks

To each of us, Thanksgiving holds a different meaning.

To students, it means a day off from school.

To football fans, it means the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions, a tradition that dates back over 50 years.

To department stores and retail chains, it marks the day before Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year and the start of the Christmas shopping season.

To most of us, however, it means gathering with our families and friends to stuff our faces with Thanksgiving turkey, dressing, macaroni and cheese, rolls, pies, and a host of other dishes that will remain nameless.

But in the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, let’s not forget what Thanksgiving is really about – that is, giving thanks to God for all He has done for us throughout the year and throughout our lives.

As my Facebook status reads, if you can read this, you have something to be thankful for. So, if you’ve never prayed before, if you’ve never been to church before, even if you’ve never even thought about God before, it’s never too late to reach out to Him. God isn’t interested in your perfection. All He wants is a relationship with You. So, remember Him as you go through this Thanksgiving Day and partake in your various holiday traditions.

God bless and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

J.W.

"And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." ~ Colossians 3:17

That That Don't Kill Me, Can Only Make Me Stronger

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, the devil decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man's weary mind "You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it." This gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure.

These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. "Why kill myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough." And that is what he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

"Lord" he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me, with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so?

Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. I, my friend, will now move the rock."

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him... By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves the mountains. You just P.U.S.H.!

When everything seems to go wrong... P.U.S.H.!

When the job gets you down... P.U.S.H.!

When people don't react the way you think they should... P.U.S.H.!

When your money is short and the bills are due... P.U.S.H.!

When you want to curse them out for whatever the reason... P.U.S.H.!

When people just don't understand you... P.U.S.H.!

Pray Until Something Happens!

Taken from David Langerfeld's Daily Encourager series - Visit http://www.injesus.com/index.php?module=group&task=details&GroupID=2A000MJQ to subscribe.

Have You Sharpened Your Axe?

A message from David Langerfeld's Daily Encourager series. Enjoy!

A young man approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job. "That depends," replied the foreman. "Let's see you fell this tree." The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, "You can start Monday."

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by. Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, "You can pick up your paycheck on the way out today."

Startled, the young man replied, "I thought you paid on Friday."

"Normally we do," said the foreman. "But we're letting you go today because you've fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you've dropped from first place on Monday to last place today."

"But I'm a hard worker," the young man objected. "I arrive first, leave last and even have worked through my coffee breaks!"

The foreman, sensing the young man's integrity, thought for a minute and then asked, "Have you been sharpening your axe?"

The young man replied, "No sir, I've been working too hard to take time for that!"

Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that we don't take time to "sharpen the ax." In today's world, it seems that everyone is busier than ever but less happy than ever. Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp?

There's nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But God doesn't want us to get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like taking time to pray, to read and study scripture or to listen to "the still small voice of God."

We all need time to relax, to think and meditate, to learn and grow. If we don't take time to sharpen the axe, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness. Take time today to sharpen your axe!