Project Description
Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Amazon Prime Deals. We are given every opportunity to show how much we love Christ by spending ourselves into oblivion. I know parents (like me) who would stand and look at the presents underneath the Christmas tree three days before Christmas then panic because you could see over the top of the tree. Then make a mad dash to the mall so we grab every toy we might have missed. Christmas morning, our kids would get so tired of unwrapping gifts they would have to take a nap and then start all over again. And all we’ve taught our kids is to want. To demand. To be crestfallen if they don’t get the latest Xbox.
Some parents will find themselves with a Visa or Mastercard bill of $5000, $7500, or more come January, and they might still feel guilty thinking they didn’t buy enough.
Yet the poor, the homeless, the hungry, the terrified mom, the man whose broken-hearted because he can’t feed his family, the people Jesus told us to take care of but who we ignore, many somehow can still thank God for a meager meal, or a safe place to spend the night.
We must not forget everyone is in Christ; Christ is in everyone; everyone is Christ. If we have run up a $5000 Mastercard bill and not one cent went to feed, clothe or protect the least of Christ’s children, then we must reexamine our values. And the values we teach our kids. What a difference Christmas would be if we actually celebrated the gift of Christ, not the fear that we didn’t buy enough.
Harry H. Harrison Jr. is one of the best selling parenting authors in the world, with books published in over 30 countries. His books are constantly featured on numerous television shows and radio programs, as well as newspapers, magazines and parenting blogs.
