Counting the Days .... One Less Gift

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, 

where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, 

where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

                                                              Matthew 9:19-21 NIV

As I begin to watch the Christian Community approaching this holiday season, I have to ask have we, as Christians, become more passionate about Christmas than the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Consider these numbers: 

97 Million - Average number of customers who visit the post office during the holiday season¹

16.5 Billion Number of cards, letters and packages to be delivered between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve²  

589 Million Average number of pieces of mail processed daily during the holidays³

801 Million Pieces of mail processed by the U.S. Postal Service on December 20, the busiest mailing day of year⁴.

$465.6 Billion Projected total value of retail sales this holiday season⁵

$704.18 Average amount consumers are expected to spend on holiday gifts and merchandise this year⁶.

$46.73 Average amount a consumer will spend this year on holiday decorations, compared to $96.75 on candy and food, $26.52 on greeting cards and $18.23 on flowers⁷

$976 Million Total retail value of natural Christmas trees bought in the U.S. last year, compared to $530 million for artificial trees⁸

$983 Million  Value of U.S. imports of Christmas tree ornaments from China between January and September 2011, including $79.7 million worth of artificial trees⁹

$3.48 Billion  Amount projected to be lost by retailers this holiday season due to return fraud, down from $3.73 billion last year¹⁰

$2.5 Billion Value of U.S. toy imports from China between January and September 2011¹¹

Did you hear that sound?  That wasn’t sleigh bells.  That was the “ka-ching” of a cash register creating the sound for the season of love and joy. Also consider that later this month we will pause to spend a day in thanksgiving for all that we have and then we will go out the very next day, Black Friday, to trample other people to purchase things to give to all the people that are thankful for what they already have. It is no wonder that Christmas is described as the season where people drive to the mall in cars that they cannot afford, to spend money that they don’t have, to buy things that they don’t need, to impress people that they don’t like.  If Christmas is Christ’s Birthday, why are we the one’s getting all the gifts?

I want to challenge you this morning to intentionally plan to make the holidays and especially Christmas a little simpler and here is why:

Let’s begin by being honest.  Our economy is based on materialism.  At its core materialism is a doctrine that believes that physical well-being and worldly possessions constitute the greatest good and highest value in life.  More succinctly put materialism holds that comfort, pleasure, and wealth are the highest goals of life.  It would follow that a materialist then is more concerned with material things than with spiritual things.  Materialism can be taught but it is most often learned from others and often as a result of the neglect of the spiritual. Materialism is an attitude that holds that the temporal (now) is more important than the eternal and can be best summed up by the expression: He who finishes with the most toys wins.

In the face of the materialism of the world is the Biblical view that all things were created by God.

        In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

        The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; ·Psalm 24:1

        You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth   

        for me," but remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce 

        wealth.   Deuteronomy 8:17

We do a good job of saying that the material things we have are blessings from God.  We even like to quote the Bible as a reminder of these promises from God:

        The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. 

        The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. Deuteronomy 28:8

        The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity   Deuteronomy 28:11

        The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in 

         season and to bless all the work of your hands.  Deuteronomy 28:12

         Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in 

         wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with 

         everything for our enjoyment.   1 Timothy 6:17

We even know that material things, while of value, are less important than spiritual things:

We have heard Jesus say, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26

We believed Paul when he told us to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” 2 Corinthians 4:18

We knew before we read that this statement in the Bible was true:  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 1 Timothy 6:7

I would even go as far as to say that we know and understand the dangers of materialism: 

        No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be 

        devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matthew 6:24

        For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have 

        wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10

Materialism fills us with anxiety as we seek the next big thing.

        So do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ’What shall we drink?’ 

        or ’What shall we wear?’       Matthew 6:31

Perhaps the most troubling for each of us is that materialism reveals our inner heart.

                For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:21

So what do we do?

During this coming holiday season, it will take some real intentionality and constant vigilance to stay focused on Christ and not get caught up in all the materialism offered by the world. This is especially true for children who see images of material goods taking center stage – vying for the meaning of Christmas.  There are some things we can set out to do in order to keep Christ central in our celebrations:

 
1) We can learn to cultivate an attitude of contentment in our lives. 

         Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, 

         because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."  Hebrews 13:5

2) We can learn to distinguish between the material and materialism. We need to learn the difference between want and need.
               

3) Make generosity towards others that are less fortunate a part of your Christmas.  Do this not as an addition, but as a replacement. Perhaps this year you could ask for one less gift for yourself and instead provide a gift for someone else who is in need.

 A pray for the season:

Lord of All, You have richly blessed each of us with a measure of abundance.  Forgive us for our fears of "not enough" and our desires for "one more gift."  Empty us of our selfish ways and desires and fill us instead with your love and compassion.  AMEN

¹ United States Postal Service 2011 Holiday Facts and Information

² Ibid

³ Ibid

⁴ Ibid

⁵ National Retail Federation 2011 Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey

⁶ Ibid

⁷ National Retail Federation 2011 Holiday Intentions and Actions Survey

⁸ National Christmas Tree Association 2011 Consumer Survey Results

⁹ U.S. Census Bureau’s Foreign Trade

¹⁰ National Retail Federation Return Fraud Survey Results 2011

¹¹ U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade 2011