Isaiah 55:2 (Originally written 12-11-2010)

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Good question. Why?

Tis the season to ignore this verse. To spend our money on things we know won’t satisfy.

We did it last year, we’re doing it this year, we’ll do it next year.

And how do we stop?

Start with recognition.

Recognize what won’t make me happy, at least not for more than a few minutes. And it won’t make the people I give the gifts to happy either. Gifts influence people but they don’t change people.

Spending money that I have to buy things I can afford to show appreciation for people I love can be a good thing. As long as I recognize that I won’t be happier the day after Christmas because of the things I’ve given or received.

But the time I spend with those people can be invaluable. The thankfulness I offer back to God because of His blessings can change my life. The opportunity to use this season to get people to think beyond themselves can be world-changing.

If I recognize what Christmas is and what it isn’t. And what it isn’t is a pathway to happiness through things that cannot satisfy.

[Father, help me to focus on the things that can satisfy this Christmas–and help me teach others to do the same.]