What do you REALLY want?

I'm in a funk.

 

A "Christmas Funk," to be precise.  I'm not depressed, per se, but I am less than excited about the commercialism of the Christmas season.

 

I want Christmas to be simple.

 

And, even as I write that, in my heart, what I really mean is I want enough cash to buy all the people I love, and like, and am distantly acquainted with, a sleigh-full of exotic gifts, bobbles, thingamagigs and doohickies.  That would be SO easy, and much less complicated.  An expensive way out.

 

As I survey the Christmases of my life, and in my childhood, it seems my family expressed their love by giving things to each other, rather than giving themselves in expressive, vulnerable, "this is all I really am," relationships.

 

Are you focused on things rather than people?

No great epiphany here, but Frank isn't about giving "things," he is about relationship.  In the 16+ years we've known each other, the truly satisfying Christmases we've had together were when we didn't have much, and, could give even less.  My best Christmas memories with Frank involve visiting family, best friends, and the precious gift of time with each other.

 

I do recall one quiet Christmas when we turned off all the lights, sat in each other's arms, and watched the Christmas tree "breathe" as the lights we adorned it with cycled through a programmed series of chasing, blinking and then, slowly, glowing brighter and then dimmer; hence, the "breathing" description.  Light Christmas jazz music was playing in the background.  The smell of the pine wafted over us.  We didn't have much to "give" that year, but it is one of my best recent memories. :o)

 

Bear with me, I'm getting to the PW Devo today...

 

Every one of us is broken, blind and in desperate need of relationship.  When you really boil it down, God gave us Himself.  He is the One who destroyed the barrier in our relationship with Him.  He took care of the problem of our sin.  His ultimate gift was Jesus.  Do you have a relationship with Him?  Or, are you trapped in the "gifting" of exotic gifts, bobbles, thingamagigs and doohickies?  Do you throw gifts at a relationship with Jesus Christ, instead of being in a relationship with Jesus Christ? 

 

I think, like me, many of you try to give gifts to God in the form of service, attendance at church, community service, etc., when, what He desires is so much more costly to each one of us.  He wants all of me, and you, totally dependent in Him for everything.

 

What do you REALLY want?  Inside each one of us, we REALLY want relationship, meaning and value.

 

In today's PW Devotion, the blind man wanted "to see."  He wanted physical relief to a situation beyond his control.  Perhaps we all long "to see" as well.  Instead, it is a spiritual relief to a situation beyond our control.  Are we so blinded by the shiny trappings of this world that we've forgotten the simple message of Christmas?

 

By His grace, God gave the perfect gift of relationship made possible by faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Only God can allow you to see your desperate need for Him.

Only God can heal your spiritual blindness.

Do you want to see?

Ask Him.

 

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Talking to Jesus: See the Blind Chainsaw Juggler! Posted: 06 Dec 2010 12:00 AM PST " 'What do you want me to do for you?' Jesus asked him. The blind man said, 'Rabbi, I want to see.' " (Mark 10:51) "What do you want me to do for you?" "I want you to send someone to teach me to juggle chainsaws." "Why?" "Because people would pay a lot of money to see a blind guy juggle chainsaws. After I earned enough from my act, I could pay for a trip to go see this doctor I heard about who specializes in my condition. He does this progressive treatment, and I might get my vision in a few years." When he got his chance, Bartimaeus didn't ask Jesus to help him with the first step in a complicated plan to get what he wanted. He simply asked for what He wanted and let Jesus worry about the plan. Simple prayers are evidence of big faith in God. Complicated prayers can be evidence of faith in my ability to make good plans. Think: How often do you ask God to give you a step on the path to what you want instead of just asking for what you want? Why do you think we tend to tell God what method to us to give us what we're asking for? Pray: Practice this. Think through a recent request you've been making of God and strip it down to the bottom line of what you really want. Then ask Him for it as simply as you can and trust Him to give it to you (or not) in the way He thinks is best. Do: If you pray with a group this week, listen to the requests and notice how different people ask God for what they want.

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Mary E.Hickcox
www.CalvaryBaptistSM.org
http://mary-neotes.blogspot.com/