Time 4

Hebrews 13:15-16

When our church took time on a Sunday morning to serve breakfast at a local soup kitchen we did more than share food. Members of the church were asked to sit down with the needy families we were serving and eat with them. In that way we shared our time and ourselves with others.

This was the gift we shared. The food we prepared had been provided by the soup kitchen. What we gave was our time and effort in preparing and serving the food. Then we gave of ourselves by talking with others and sharing time together. Finally, we worshiped together – the church members and the people who had come to get breakfast.

Christmas is a time of giving and sharing. It is a time of giving gifts to one another. These gifts can be considered a sacrifice from us, and the author of Hebrews has something to say about sacrifices.

What type of sacrifice should we offer to God? How is that done? What other sacrifices are encouraged?

It seems that most people get caught up in the materialism of the holidays. We fall prey to the trend of spending excess amounts of money and rushing through crowded stores grabbing up something we think others might like or need.

But at the center of Christmas is the gift of Jesus. That gift is a gift of sacrifice, a sacrifice God made of Himself for our benefit. The true celebration of Christmas is the reflection of such an attitude of giving.

Rather than focusing on the cost and size of the gifts we give each other, we should focus on the gift we can give to God. We should be praising God this holiday, offering thanks for the love expressed through Jesus. And that praise should be continuous with us, not just something we do once a year.

But we can’t stop with praising God. We are encouraged to do good for others. We are encouraged to share with others. These are the sacrifices that please God.

As we do our shopping this year, as we consider what this person wants and that person needs, let us remember the needy people is our society. Perhaps we can give the gift of our time in helping out others. Perhaps we can share some of our comforts with those less fortunate.

These may be the gifts that please our God and fill our holiday with joy.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Can you help someone less fortunate this Christmas?

Fan or Follower 4

Hebrews 13:15-16

I appreciate all the seasons of the year – the spring flowers, the summer heat, the autumn leaves and even the snow in winter. But when the weather gets cold and the snow covers the streets and makes them slick I want to wrap myself in a blanket and hibernate until May.

But I can’t do that. I need to shovel walks to keep people safe. I need to drive my children to school. I need to go to the store. I need to go to work. I need to go visit people in the hospital. I have to sacrifice my own comfort to help myself and others. And that is an act of love – denying my own desires, even if only briefly, to help others. It’s something we all must do.

Today’s passage from Hebrews talks about sacrifice. What does the author of Hebrews encourage us to do for God? What does he encourage us to do for others? Why is this good?

I see the weather as a reminder of life in general. Sometimes life is warm and wonderful and sometimes life is cold and treacherous, driving us inside, inside our own selves. But we need to brave the elements of life. We need to face the troubles and challenges of living so that we can do good for other people and for the kingdom of God.

It is so easy to feel defeated by the turmoil of life, to feel abandoned by God, and to think that the only way to make it is to be certain we take care of ourselves. But we need to trust that God is with us even in the darkest hours and the most troubled times. Even as we worry about the future we are called to offer praises to God for all of His mercy and love.

And even as we worry about our own happiness we are called on to share what we have with others. With such sacrifices God is pleased.

By being willing to share out of our meagerness, by being willing to give even when we feel we have too little, we are giving honor to God. In such acts we are praising the Lord who has given us all good things. By offering praise to God and by sharing with others we become true followers of our Lord, dedicated, loving and trusting children of our heavenly Father.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can you share with others?