The importance our society places on material possessions in my opinion is very pitiful. Everyone has to have the latest electronic gadget or this year's “must have” toy for our kids. The lengths we go to just to get a good price on a new computer or an Elmo doll that can stand on his head and recite the Pledge of Allegiance, is astoundingly shocking.
The day after Thanksgiving is known as the busiest shopping day of the year. That’s the day that many stores break into profitability for the year, and that is why it is referred to as Black Friday. This year we unfortunately received another reason for that name. This year on Black Friday a young man lost his life. It was a tragic death. The man was working at a Walmart in New York, and when he opened the doors to let in the mob of bargain hunters, he was trampled and later died. To add insult to injury, when told the store was closing because of the man's death, several shoppers were heard complaining about the inconvenience. After all, they had been waiting in line since the day before.
I love giving gifts to people I love. I don't have a problem with exchanging presents at Christmas, it is fun. But it is so easy to cross the line into greed and a lust for things. Material possessions become a problem when we no longer possess them—and they begin to possess us.
Christmas has changed a lot in the past 100 years. When did Christmas become about the things you get on Christmas morning? When did Christmas shopping take over our lives? When did we forget why Christmas exists in the first place?
I just think we should try to remember what Christmas is really about. It is about the best gift ever given: a manger, a baby, and a cross. “…but the angel reassured them. “Don't be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize Him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” - Luke 2:10-12.
The man that died does not have to have a senseless death. He can serve as a wake-up call to people around the world. Christmas is not about getting the newest model of flat screen TVs.
It's about God's infinite love for us. It's about grace. It's about the ultimate sacrifice.
It's about Jesus Christ—the little baby born in a manger—the one that died on the cross so that you might have eternal life. When you are opening you gifts this Christmas morning, remember why you are receiving those gifts, and remember to thank the One who sent Jesus!
