Less is the new more

Can you remember what people gave you for Christmas last year? I don’t! I can’t even remember what gifts I gave my kids or wife last year. It’s not that I have a bad memory; I just don’t find my year-old stuff to be as exciting as the new stuff. I’m sure you can relate.

Don’t you find it funny that we spend so much time thinking about, planning for and even losing sleep over "things" that a year from now we won’t even care about? I know that’s how all our favorite department stores want it. But it does become a vicious, tiring circle of wanting, receiving and forgetting… only to do it all again next year.

I don’t think it has to stay this way. We could shift our focus from things that we will probably throw away a year from now to things that will last a little longer - a lot longer! Imagine that… and no, I’m not proposing that we buy a better brand or something made in America.

What I’m proposing is that we let God have a little bit more of our Christmas and give ourselves a little bit less. I am a firm believer that "with less of you there is more of God and his rule." (Matthew 5:3)

I know at first it might not sound as exciting as the new iPad you might be getting your three-year-old. But imagine the possibilities! Now you might be asking, "What possibilities are you talking about?" Well, for starters, how about peace, hope and love? Aren’t these the three things that we are really looking for at Christmas time anyway?

You don’t have to be a religious person to want peace, hope, and love mixed into your life. The problem is, more times than not, we go about finding these things in the wrong way… and I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that what you’ve been trying hasn’t been working too well.

So how do we do it? How can we mix in some peace, hope, and love into our Christmas this year? Well, the answer to that is by asking Jesus to be the meaning behind your Christmas and your life. It’s really quite simple. We all know that having more stuff doesn’t give purpose to our lives because none of it lasts. What we need is something that will last. We need Jesus!

So, before you run to the store for more stuff, stop and pray. Ask Jesus to be your "more" this Christmas. Ask him to be the source of your peace, hope, and love. It’s only by surrendering our lives to him that we will find the true meaning of Christmas.