Bah! Humbug! Huh?! Christmas is coming!

I was at Jovon’s McDonald’s drive through yesterday and I told the lady at the window, “Merry Christmas!”  She had an awesome comeback.  She said, “I have the name for the season.”  I say, give her a raise and send her shopping.  She gets it!  Thanks Jovon for service with a smile.

OK.  I suspect there are some of you out there in blog land that are like the BIGGEST Scrooges of all time.  You don’t like to shop.  You don’t like to give gifts.  You don’t like crowds.  You don’t like people to make a fuss.  You cop the attitude that commercialization of Christmas steals from the real meaning.  Right?  Well take a look at this verse and tell me how you justify ignoring the word, “GIVE”.

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”

I understand you don’t have to buy to give, but buying gives jobs to a lot of people.  I suppose buying gives jobs to everyone when you think about it.  So this Christmas, I will like most Christmases, spend what I have and give all I can give.  Trusting God’s blessings on those that receive.

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“I fished all night and nothing. I’m cold. I’m wet. I’m tired. I wish I’d done more…” ~whipped

I’ve worked hard all my life, but it seems the net has come up empty.  I keep throwing the net out hoping this time it will be different.  The fish are jumping all around me.  It’s just that the net keeps coming up empty.  I don’t get it.  Ever felt that way? I have.  I feel that way, today.

But you know there is a something different about my life today.  The difference is in the hope.  I still fish hard.  I still come home wet, tired and cold, but there is hope for tomorrow.  I have hope that one day, Jesus will come along and tell me where to fish that my nets will come back full to overflowing.  Then, I will know what it is like to fish with Jesus.

“Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch.” ~Jesus

“Simon answered him, “Master, we worked all night, and took nothing; but at your word I will let down the net.”  When they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking.”~Dr. Luke

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“May not a single moment of my life be spent outside the light, love, and joy of God’s presence,”~Andrew Murray

Murray’s ministry was in the 1800’s. He wrote hundreds of books and tracts. He passionately lived a life fully devoted to Jesus Christ. He desired that all people do the same, but noted obstacles to participating in the life of God.

“Murray wrote to interpret the Scriptures in such a way that Christians were free to believe and experience the grace of God. He believed that God had done everything necessary for people to live rich, productive, meaningful lives that participated in the life of God. The obstacles to such lives included half-hearted surrender to God, a lack of confidence in the anointing of the Spirit, and a deep-rooted skepticism about the power of prayer.”

I too, wish to live passionately and participate in the life of God. This brings me to consider the impact of his noted obstacles on my life. I must ask myself….

• Am I fully surrendered? Unlikely
• Do I lack confidence in the anointing of the Spirit? Probably.
• Am I a skeptic about the power of prayer? Maybe

This is all a bit frustrating. I have been a believer for 50 years and can’t confidently answer I am fully surrendered, fully confident in the anointing and equally confident in prayer. What happened?

I find myself crying out, “Father! What must I do? Help me! Remove any obstacles in my life. Allow me to live a life fully participating in the life of God… ”

What obstacles are keeping you from living a life fully devoted to God?
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