God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.
This time of year people are rushing to finish their Christmas shopping. Due to the pandemic many are ordering online and having packages delivered to their homes or the homes of their loved ones. Often gifts are exchanged and many times these items are not what is needed and sometimes it is not even what the other person wants. I know of someone who refused to buy their grandchild a toy they wanted because it was expensive. They chose to buy the child a bunch of poor quality items but they were cheap and so the gift giver thought it was better to give a lot of items than one item. The child's mother told me later their child never played with any of it and it left the burden of the mother to deal with these items. Why are we truly giving someone a gift? What is our real motivation?
There's a trendy movement towards minimalism. If one is not careful that can lead to consumerism as well. It doesn't sound like it at first, because the idea is to get rid of the things you have too much of so you can enjoy the things you keep. Some people feel stuck and do not know how to get started so they hire someone to help them. They buy books and worksheets and downloads. Special cleaning supplies are purchased at the advice of "experts" and sometimes items purged impulsively have to be replaced so there is that extra cost. They spend a lot of time and energy working on it. That's not to say it's not worth the effort but we must be careful that we aren't trading in one method of consumerism for another.
Jesus is the reason for the season. He wants us to enjoy fellowship with friends and family. It's a time of togetherness. During the pandemic it might look different. We can get creative with ways to stay connected that doesn't involve spending a lot of money we don't have. We should pay our bills before buying big ticket items for others. Planning ahead for Christmas gifts takes a little thought and consistent practice to save money each month so no one has to scramble to find funds at the end of the year. Remember that experiences and connections are great gifts that cost little. Spend time helping someone. Pick up the elderly neighbors groceries so they don't have to get out. Call your relative or friend that you haven't spoken to in a while just to see how they are doing. Thank the workers at the fast food place you frequent for their hard work during these trying times. Those gifts honor our King and mean even more than anything you can buy at the store.
What do we treasure here on earth? Money, careers, power, influence, time, food, relationships, reputation? Do we treasure God's Word and hold it dear to our hearts? How is our relationship with Jesus? If we pray to Him does He recognize our voice? Are we that familiar to Him? Do you hear Him speak to you? Can you recognize His voice? Is He familiar to you that you recognize His presence? The Bible tells us treasures are great but where we keep them is important!
MATTHEW 6:19-21 (19)Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where rust and moth doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20)But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither rust nor moth doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal: (21)For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Some like silver but it will tarnish. Some like gold and we know God used that for pavement. Some like precious metals but it can rust. Your favorite outfit will fade, can tear or become ruined. Your big screen television or expensive electronics can be stolen. Jesus is telling us the earth is not a safe place for our prized possessions. The earth will pass away but God's word will never pass away. What should we treasure and how can we keep these things in heaven?
We must treasure wisdom above silver and gold. We must wear the garment of praise before we pick something from our closet. We must treasure the free gift of salvation which cost God's only Son his very life. We should hold tight to healing and freedom and liberty. We should highly esteem love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, and meekness because they are fruits of the Spirit. Let's be kind to someone and that deed goes before us into heaven. Let's show forgiveness to others and our Heavenly Father will forgive us. When we give the homeless a meal we do that for God. When we take our time to help a relative in need we are taking that time for God. When we help someone sick get better, we are nursing God back to health.
You may argue God does not need food, our time, or healing but the Bible clearly states that what we do for the least of these, we do to God. And it goes on to tell us that what we don't do for others, is the same thing we are choosing not to do for God.
MATTHEW 25:31-46 (31)When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: (32)And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats: (33)And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. (34)Then shall the King say to them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (35)For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: (36)Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. (37)Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? (38)When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? (39)Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee? (40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me. (41)Then shall He also say unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (42)For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: (43)I was a stranger and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not. (44)Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee? (45)Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me. (46)And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
God wants us to have gifts. He gave us gifts of the Spirit. He gave us the gift of His Son, which is the gift of salvation. We have the opportunity to use our faith, our time, our resources to bless and help those around us. Instead of worrying and stressing over the holidays and what to give whom, why not stop for a moment and think about what we can do for God this year? Let's count our blessings and then do something for those less fortunate. Let's remember the homeless, those incarcerated and away from family or friends, and let's pray for those sick in the hospital battling for their life with Covid or Cancer or a host of other conditions. Let's truly keep Jesus at the center of holiday.
How much money do we spend on gifts? Now compare that to how much money we tithe and give to our church, our local food pantry, the homeless shelters, and organizations that minister to the needs of the least of these. What can we do to give to those places? It's fun to exchange a gift with friends and family but imagine being the person who has nothing to give and nothing to receive. Let's bring joy to the world by sharing the reason for the season: JESUS with everyone we can!
As we enter the weekend, let's store up our treasures in heaven. I hope something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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