By Joe Slater – Via Bulletin Gold
“What do you want for Christmas?” I already have my two front
teeth, so mny stock reply is, “I don’t know” (shrug). That frustrates
the ones asking, but it’s true! I have no pressing needs. Even my
wish list is pretty much empty.
Each passing year makes it clearer that the things I really need
and want can’t be purchased with money! As our Savior so aptly
put it, “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things
he possesses” (Luke 12:15). I want the presence of (not presents
from) my family. I want their health and safety, and above all
their close walk with God.
I don’t need more belongings, but I definitely need a sense of
belonging. God Himself said it isn’t good for us to be alone
(Genesis 2:18). Family fills that need for belonging in marvelous
ways! For that very reason, Satan relentlessly attacks the nuclear
family. As early as Eden he pitted Adam and Eve against each
other. Today his agents seek to redefine what a family is.
Destruction of the family opens the door to finding that sense of
belonging in unwholesome places.
As precious as earthly families are, I also need to belong to
God’s spiritual family. The love, fellowship, and support of
brothers and sisters in Christ surpass anything money can buy.
By myselfI won’t survive, but as we mutually strive to serve God
our Father and Jesus our Elder Brother, we will enjoy certain
victory! Satan throws roadblocks the church’s way just as he does
with earthly families, tempting us to find our sense of belonging
in worldly organizations or even false religious groups. Let us
remain steadfast!
I hope you get just what you want and need for Christmas: not
mere belongings, but belonging.