My Unconquerable Soul

I'm Not a Scrooge

I had a recent conversation with someone about getting ready for Christmas and I was asked if we had our tree up. I replied that we generally don't do the tree and decorations. She asks, "Wow, are you a Scrooge?" No, I'm not a Scrooge. I just don't think the tree has anything to so with Christmas and distracts from it.

The woman I was speaking to visibly started getting excited. If she had on sleeves I think she would have rolled them up. She's says, "OK, I've got to hear this. What is Christmas about?"

As a Christian, I believe in Jesus Christ. He is God's begotten son born from a virgin. He walked this earth and was crucified for our sins. Christmas is the celebration of the birth and life of Jesus Christ. It's important that the focus of Christmas is Christ and not a tree or getting presents.

After saying all this the woman says, "Wow, that's not what I expected. People generally say it's just about spending time with family and that's it. It's never anything thought out like that." She looked a little disappointed because she didn't have a rebuttal.

Unfortunatley we get too caught up with the consumerism of this holiday. We start with "Black Friday" where people get trampled while trying to buy some hot new toy for their kid. For many, Christmas is another opportunity to add to our debt. We don't need to show our love for one another by buying expensive gifts. Where's the compassion for our brothers and sisters? I'm guitly of this myself. Each day, I have remind myself that there are so many people who aren't as furtunate. I've been blessed so that I can be a blessing to others.

Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way." - Matthew 15:32

For me and my family Christ is the reason for Christmas and the two cannot be separated.

Merry Christmas!

Comments [1]

Who's Your Go-To Guy?

Posted by Vaughn Sanders

Who do you call when you have problems or issues that come up in life? Do you know someone who's a wizard with computers that always helps you get your equipment set up? Do you have someone on speed dial when you have car trouble? Do you have a friend that you call when you're having problems with your spouse? Who do you call when you just want to go out a blow off some steam?

I like the Urban Dictionary's definition of a go-to guy. "Someone who can resolve a difficult problem or situation another person's facing."

It's a cool feeling to know that you're somebody's go-to guy. I've always been happy to be the computer guy. I've built computers, cleaned viruses, installed routers and etc. I'm the go-to guy for my wife and daughter when they see spider on the wall. I've helped some people get their resume up to date so they could find a job.

The reason I'm thinking about this is because of a conversation that I had recently. I was talking to a friend that is having a lot of struggles right now. They're dealing with challenges both personally and professionally and just trying to keep their head above water. In the end, I said that I didn't know if there was anything that I could do but if there was, let me know and I would do whatever I could. They looked at me and asked,

"Could you pray for me?"

The way they paused and looked at me showed me that it was important and meaningful that I actually prayed for them. It wasn't a frivolous request.

I was taken aback for a second because I didn't expect this request. We have never talked about religion before. Most people try to be PC and say something like, "Please send good vibes" (whatever that means). Even though it was totally unexpected I told them that I could absolutely pray for them and I have continued to keep them and their family in my prayers.

Why is it that they felt comfortable and felt it necessary to ask me to pray for them? Even though I don't talk much about my spirituality and faith, it appears that it's evident who my go-to guy is.

When I have problems, question or concerns, I pray. I pray that God would help me to understand the situation that I'm in. Help me to see the lessons that I need to learn. Help to see how I can be a blessing to others. I also pray that the Lord uses me to do His will. I pray that people see more of Him and less of me so that they can learn more about Him. I pray that the Lord guides me in each and every decision that I make. I pray that the Lord use me in a way that would encourage people to to get to know Him.

It's humbling to know that God is answering my prayers. I see the Lord using me in a huge way. I am so grateful. in 1 Timothy 1:15 Paul says,

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."

This explains how I feel. Of all the people in the world, God not only listens but also answers my prayers. I am the least deserving of His grace but made clean because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Seeing all this work being done, gives me peace. I know the Lord will never lead me astray. I can lay all my worries and concerns at His feet and He'll help me sort it out.

I'm more than willing to be the go-to guy for prayer or anything else because in the end, I have the Ultimate Go-To Guy.

Who's your go-to guy?

Image by: scottchan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Comments [0]

1. page of 1