"Shopping for Yourself" |
Have you ever wished you could buy your own Christmas present?
It ought to be fun! There’d be no waiting. There’d be no question about the right size or color. There’s no risk that you’ll get something you don’t want. So why does it seem so unfulfilling?
Perhaps when we were children we thought the most
important thing about gift-giving was the gift. If it was the right gift, we thought, that’s what really counts. But as we grow up, we slowly realize that the most important part of gift-giving is the giver. Unwrapping a gift you bought for yourself might have all the traditional elements of shopping, wrapping, and the tree, but it’s missing the love, the relationship, the act of giving.
God’s people grew tired of waiting for His gift and thought the same would be accomplished if they shopped for themselves. Instead of waiting for a savior, they invented one of their own – a god made of gold. It had everything they thought really counted. Drama. Glitter. Excitement. But there was no relationship. How can you love and trust in something you know is fake? Their excitement turned to ashes. Moses ground their golden calf
into powder, scattered it on the water, and made them drink it.
Is it possible that we, in our impatience, have gone shopping for ourselves, trying to pick out our own gift instead of waiting for the Lord? Whenever we do, we end up with a bitter taste in our mouths. But if we are content to wait – if we trust that God will keep His promise – then we will unwrap something far better. We will discover the fullness of an intimate and eternal life with Him.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me wait. My own ideas haven’t worked out so well. I am content, with Your Spirit’s help, to wait for Your perfect gift. Amen
-written by Pastor Done Neuendorf
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