Day 9: NEW (+ The Power to Get or to Give?)
Start Here:
- How It Works (via Bullet Points & Videos!)
- Day 1: LOVED (+ 2 Vital Questions to Ask NOW)
- Day 2: CHOSEN – Making Right Holiday Choices
- Day 3: COMPLETE (+ 5 Gift-Giving Questions)
- Day 4: PURE (+ Goodbye, Ghosts of Christmas Past)
- Day 5: RIGHTEOUS (+ Rituals vs. Relationships)
- Day 6: FORGIVEN (+ The Story I Choose to Tell)
- Day 7: FREE (+ 14+ Ways to Enjoy “Free” Holy-Days!)
- Day 8: VICTORIOUS (+ Heading Off Holiday Hurts)
If I were to write a memoir, I’d title it All That’s Left.
I’d write it in three parts.
All That’s Left: Part 1
Here, I’d tell the sad stories of all the people who have left me by
- physically moving away to other parts of the state, the country.
- breaking up with me.
- deciding they hate me.
Poor abandoned, rejected, left behind me.
All That’s Left: Part 2
Here, I’d share my struggles of living with a scarcity mentality.
- Convinced that I had so little while others had so much.
- My many “baditudes” holding me captive to conviction that I was missing out.
- That God was holding out on me.
He hadn’t given me the abundant life I’d expected on a silver platter.
So I decided that for everything else, there’s my platinum MasterCard.
So I decided that for everything else, there’s my platinum MasterCard.
My garage still bears witness to how fully I bought into “the power to GET”.
All That’s Left: Part 3
Here, two key words are utterly re-defined.
All now means
- abundance.
- overflowing.
- above-and-beyond.
Left now means
- remaining.
- still here.
- enduring.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christhas become a new person.The old life is gone; a new life has begun!2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
All That’s Left: Parts 1 and 2 are the old life.
It’s gone.
It’s gone.
All That’s Left: Part 3 is the new life.
It’s evidence that Jesus means exactly what He says when he offers:
It’s evidence that Jesus means exactly what He says when he offers:
And I will give you a new heart,and I will put a new spirit in you.I will take out your stony, stubborn heartand give you a tender, responsive heart.Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)
New Holiday Story
One of the issues we’ve struggled with the most is the commercialization of Christmas.
We’ve felt
- surrounded by it.
- sucked in by it.
- overwhelmed by it.
We’ve even found ourselves buying in to “the power to get” without meaning to.
But God is the Author and finisher of our faith.
If He can give us new life…
If He can give us new hearts…
…then He can certainly re-new a right holiday spirit within us this year!
A spirit that exalts the power to give far above the power to get.
I suspect this will look different for each of us.
I suspect this will look different for each of us.
Our family is going to try spending-free, shopping-free Christmas gift-giving.
But this is how the Holy Spirit is moving us, in this particular season of our empty-nester kids-in-college lives.
The point isn’t the exact details of what we do.
The point is that He is recreating us anew!
Your Turn!
- How have you bought into “the power to get” in past holidays?
- In what ways has the “for everything else there’s MasterCard” mentality been master of your life?
- What is something you sense God doing new in your life?
- Anything else on your heart!
In the past I really have bought into the power to get idea. Since we’ve cut up our credit cards we don’t have the option to charge so it simply means that we only purchase a few gifts at Christmas. We’ve had to plan ahead and purchase gifts over several months before Christmas. It’s been a blessing in many ways. We have been doing much better at focusing on what the real meaning of the season is instead of buying into the commercialization. I’m a work in progress. Thanks for the great post!
Kristina —
Ahhhh, the freedom that comes with cutting up the credit cards! I was amazed at how quickly my feelings of “must get” disappeared when the option “to get” disappeared! Planning ahead can be such a fun part of the gift-giving process. My least favorite thing is trying to find “the right” gifts a day or two before Christmas, partly because I miss out on all the creative thinking and anticipation!
My goal this year is to have the cards, gifts, and decorating done by the first of December. In the past, we were usually still shopping the week before Christmas and that has caused us to spend more than we were planning. My vision for this Christmas season is to be one of peace and relaxation so we can draw closer to Jesus.
Lori —
What a great goal! To be done with preparations so “early” that the entire month of December can be devoted to focusing on Jesus. I’ve never thought of it that way, and it sounds SO appealing! I think we will try it…I’ve got enough time still!
Makes me realize how sad it is that one of the #1 retail days of the entire year is December 24…so many people out buying rather than relaxing w/family…or trying to cram both into the same day…
I am really evaluating what special things to give this year over trying to spend the allotted and preassigned money amount. Often times the special gifts are not as expensive, so why spend the extra money?
Leesa —
This is a great “ah-HA!” for me! I usually spend down to the last penny…after all, that’s what the money is for, right? But spending just for the sake of spending isn’t good stewardship…especially when that extra money could truly benefit someone.
Really trying to get my heart ready for Christmas!
Glad you’re joining us, Lana!