Who can remember what they received as a present last Christmas? Are you still wearing that ‘must have’ piece of clothing, did you enjoy watching that DVD – perhaps it was a complete box set ! and, is there any of that favourite perfume left ?
Despite the fact that on average we all spent over £350 on gifts last Christmas their pleasures can be very temporary. Will you be spending more or less than last year? Many of us are having to tighten our belts in the current financial climate yet it is estimated that in the UK alone we will spend nearly £8 billion alone in on line shopping over the next 5 weeks.
The hymn writer proclaims;
‘This earth belongs to God
The world, its wealth and all its people
Yet despite that we can become very ‘wrapped up’ in buying and receiving the things we want for ourselves. We heard recently an estimate that 1 in 5 families in the UK are living in poverty (defined as living on 60% of the average UK wage) and hard though that is for those many families, it is a different kind of poverty to the millions of people in the 3rd world who are living on less than $2 a day.
There is however one free gift to which we can all look forward to receiving whatever our circumstances and that is the gift of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ for ourselves.
In Matthews Gospel Jesus acknowledges that when people care for others who are in need it is as if they were caring for the King himself saying ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers, you did for me’.
At Christmas then, as throughout the year we are invited to remember and give towards the needs of those helped by organisations such as Grace Baptist Mission, Outreach UK , Tearfund or The Raising Hope Foundation. Is that what your mind is ‘set’ on this Christmas?
Set your minds on things above and not on earthly things Col 3:2
Stuart Beadle
December 2011
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