The Main Thing

by Bob Setzer, Jr.
According to a recent report, this Christmas Americans will use over 28,497,464 rolls and sheets of wrapping paper, 16,826,362 packages of tags and bows, 372,430,684 greeting cards, and 35,200,000 Christmas trees.

If as E. B White observed, “To perceive Christmas through its wrappings becomes more difficult with every year,” trying to find Christmas beneath that much stuff is going to be a problem.

Meanwhile, the little book, Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn’t Buy Presents for the Holidays, has become quite the rage. Essentially, the author argues Christmas is the ultimate bait-and-switch in which we spend gazillions of dollars on gifts that don’t bring any lasting satisfaction.

We all know this of course. And we’ve come to expect the familiar dressing down from the pastor or some other pulpiteer or editorialist about the need to put “Christ back into Christmas.” Still, nothing much changes. The preacher says the same predictable stuff while he, she, and we keep doing what we’ve always done.

How ‘bout another approach, a savvy both/and instead of a stern and sober, either/or? If you’ve got the discretionary income, buy the people you love something special. Me? I’ve always been a sucker for Santa Claus. There are worse things than lavishing special gifts on the kids and grandkids, especially if you help them understand this kind of lavish grace is because of Jesus. Just keep the credit cards on ice, remembering the wisdom of Proverbs, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender” (22:7).

Further, spread some Christmas cheer by giving generously to the Salvation Army ringer and the Crisis Closet, making a gift to Global Missions, and catching up your year-end giving to the church. Make sure you spend at least as much on Christ, his church, and his causes as on everybody else. It is his birthday after all.

But amid all the festive buying and giving, do the other thing too. Bring the family to worship during Advent. Let the children sit in spell-bound wonder before the twinkling Advent wreath and Chrismon tree. Delight to the pure, sweet sounds of the Children’s Choirs singing their Alleluias! Reel with joy as a world-class church choir presents a heartfelt Cantata. Gather on Christmas Eve to form a circle in the sanctuary, raise your lighted candle, and sing, “Silent Night.” And better yet, bring an unchurched friend or neighbor with you, someone who really needs him who is the Hope of the World.

Christmas is a blessed time for celebrating God’s indescribable gift, the gift of God’s one and only Son (2 Cor. 9:15; John 3:16). Amid the festivities and the fun, just work at keeping the main thing, the Main Thing!