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“{Paul} In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner
you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He
Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.” – Acts 20:35
The
commercials have been building up to this time of year. Watching carefully, you can see the shift
that is taking place over the last 3 or 4 weeks. From advertising for food and diets and cars
and makeup and personal care products, the advertising is now for electronics,
jewelry, toys, clothing and cars. I sat
with my kids the other morning watching cartoons on the Disney channel. Every single commercial that came on drew an
excited, “Oooohh, I want that for Christmas.” statement. Don’t get me wrong, these kids know the true
meaning of Christmas, but get caught up in the hype and fascination portrayed by
the merchandisers and manufacturers. I
finally followed my wife’s lead and assigned chores during the commercials,
which drew the kids away from the TV, and significantly reduced the impact that
advertising had for that one day.
In general we are led, as a society, into this “must have the latest and greatest” mentality from the marketing prowess of these companies. Take for consideration that in 2004, Motorola introduced the RazR phone, which had sold 50 million by 2006 and started the craze towards smartphones. Apple introduced the first iPhone in 2007, and we just witnessed the iPhone 5 introduced in September 2012; 6 versions in 5 years. People line up for hours to get the newest gadget and we never seem to stop and ask why? The marketing and advertising campaigns work. It creates a dependence and desire to have the latest and greatest, whether we need it or not.
The essence brought forth from the scriptures is that we should be serving others, helping and loving others and giving to others; time, treasure and love. I believe in the foundation of our human spirit we are driven by the joy, happiness and experience of bringing love to others. Face it, when you give to another, there is a sense of joy in realizing that you are making a difference in their life. A fullness of life is experienced in being able to serve and share with another. When the inherent compassion for others comes forth, it serves not only to help another, but to enrich your own life as well. For it takes humility, a servants heart and love to give as God gave to us.
We are called to share His love with the world, and to draw others to Him through serving them as He served. Jesus said in Matthew 19:16-23, to the rich, young ruler, “..Go and sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow Me.” We do not give as an attempt to gain the attention of others around us, we give to express the love and grace of our Father in heaven. Expect nothing in return for giving unto others, but treasure the joy and love that they have experienced because the Lord enabled you to give. To he who is given much, much will be expected. (Luke 12:48) Jesus has prepared us to serve and help others and we know this. If we are not giving of ourselves as required, are we truly walking in His light or simply fooling ourselves. Put aside the Christmas list this year and focus your heart on what you can do for others, for in doing this, you will truly experience Christmas as it was intended to be experienced.
©
Sondove Enterprises, 2012In general we are led, as a society, into this “must have the latest and greatest” mentality from the marketing prowess of these companies. Take for consideration that in 2004, Motorola introduced the RazR phone, which had sold 50 million by 2006 and started the craze towards smartphones. Apple introduced the first iPhone in 2007, and we just witnessed the iPhone 5 introduced in September 2012; 6 versions in 5 years. People line up for hours to get the newest gadget and we never seem to stop and ask why? The marketing and advertising campaigns work. It creates a dependence and desire to have the latest and greatest, whether we need it or not.
The essence brought forth from the scriptures is that we should be serving others, helping and loving others and giving to others; time, treasure and love. I believe in the foundation of our human spirit we are driven by the joy, happiness and experience of bringing love to others. Face it, when you give to another, there is a sense of joy in realizing that you are making a difference in their life. A fullness of life is experienced in being able to serve and share with another. When the inherent compassion for others comes forth, it serves not only to help another, but to enrich your own life as well. For it takes humility, a servants heart and love to give as God gave to us.
We are called to share His love with the world, and to draw others to Him through serving them as He served. Jesus said in Matthew 19:16-23, to the rich, young ruler, “..Go and sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow Me.” We do not give as an attempt to gain the attention of others around us, we give to express the love and grace of our Father in heaven. Expect nothing in return for giving unto others, but treasure the joy and love that they have experienced because the Lord enabled you to give. To he who is given much, much will be expected. (Luke 12:48) Jesus has prepared us to serve and help others and we know this. If we are not giving of ourselves as required, are we truly walking in His light or simply fooling ourselves. Put aside the Christmas list this year and focus your heart on what you can do for others, for in doing this, you will truly experience Christmas as it was intended to be experienced.
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