Black Friday – the day when bargain hunters hit the stores in droves, looking for the items to fill their Christmas wish lists. While I’m definitely into bargains, I’m not into getting a deal at someone else’s expense. Clearly that’s not everybody’s mindset. A few Black Friday incidents:
A Los Angeles woman pepper-sprayed at least 20 people in order to get in line ahead of them for a store opening. In a store in upstate New York, a man was arrested after getting into a fist fight with two women. And who can forget the report of the store employee who was trampled to death by the crowd who shoved down the doors of the store five minutes before opening time? All in the name of saving a dollar.
I recently heard someone make a comment about those who “can’t afford Christmas.” I commend and support the organizations that help the needy year-round and during the holidays, but I also believe we need to be careful about developing the mindset that Christmas is about “stuff.” Christmas is first and foremost about celebrating the birth of the Savior. Christmas is “Christ-mass” – the celebration (“mass”) of Christ.
Secondly, it’s about others. Jesus came to earth as a helpless infant not for His own benefit, but to meet the needs of others, the greatest of which was salvation. He willingly came for the purpose of dying in our stead.
I hope you’ll make this Christmas a totally Christ-centered celebration. Spend your time and money doing for those who can’t afford to have a turkey dinner or put gifts under the tree. I’m betting that most of the people you’re buying gifts for can afford to buy those things for themselves. Why not enjoy food, games and fellowship with friends and family and forego the gift-giving except for the little ones? Put that money to better use being a blessing to those truly in need.
And remember: there was a far more important Black Friday over 2,000 years ago: the day Jesus Christ went to the cross to pay our sin-debt.
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