Where are the Baubles?

Have you put your Christmas tree up yet? We put ours up yesterday, it was lots of fun. Master 3 had most fun throwing a bauble around the house. It had lost its top bit for hanging and as it was a hard plastic, was good for bouncing on the tiles. But with kids, you know something is wrong when you hear silence. I noticed the dreaded silence as i was hanging decorations on the tree and looked over to the kitchen and quickly raised my voice to say "JOSHUA...STOP". He had my good skissors in one hand and a perfectly good bauble in the other. He was about to cut the string off so he could use this one as a ball too!

He doesnt realise the pleasure of seeing baubles on the tree and having a decorated Christmas tree to adorn the loungeroom. He thinks throwing baubles is much more fun.

I think we do that in life sometimes. We cut off the 'heavenly ties' and use the good things God has provided for our own pleasure.

James 1:17 says that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

God provides a multitude of good things for us to take pleasure in when they are enjoyed in their proper context like a bauble hung on the Christmas tree. In life, some people cut the strings off marriage, work, relationships, giving, even Christmas. All of these things are meant to be enjoyed in the original context that God had planned. It might still be fun, but it wont be fulfilling unless you know how it was meant to be.

Christmas is a very fun time. I love giving presents, I love the memories, the carols, the family coming together, the excitement of Christmas Eve. But unless we realise the real meaning of Christmas, we have missed the point. At Christmas, God came to earth when he sent his Son Jesus to be born on the earth as a man, the whole purpose being that he would die as a substitute for us, to pay the price for our sin, so that we could live forever in a relationship with God. What a message and a greater meaning for this time. When we give our gifts or token presents, sometimes we miss the greatest gift ever given - Gods gift of Jesus for us.

So, this Christmas, dont cut the ties that make it so special, and think about your response to this message - have you cut the ties to your life that are preventing you from experiencing life to the full in a relationship with God?

Jesus said "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Merry Christmas!