Where's HIS Place?

I was recently given a small devotional called “God Is In The Small Stuff At Christmas.” Little did I know I would soon be needing it! While enjoying the pleasant weather over the Thanksgiving holiday, my lovely bride suggested that I put up the outside Christmas lights. Now, you need to know that I despise outside Christmas lights…it’s not that I’m a Scrooge (really, I’m not!)…but lacking any intrinsic value to the holyday, they seem to represent the first step on that slippery slope that inevitably leads to a mentality of out-doing the neighbors and a total commercialization of the season! Do I believe that? Not really, but they are a lot of work and cost money that might be better spent elsewhere. So I am reading this little book and Bruce & Stan (the authors) point something out to me…something I knew, but I guess I needed to hear. “God is more concerned about His place in your heart than about the decorations in (or on) your home.” Sometimes we do miss the obvious! All the lights in the world will not save your soul, yet too many believers have their attention focused on the lights instead of on the Savior. If you believe decorations add to the holyday, then decorate…but not until Jesus is the focus of the celebration in your heart (after all, that’s where the real celebration takes place!). And for those who argue for strict authenticity in the celebration of Christmas…I guess they would have us spend the day living as homeless outcasts in a barn filled with animals…that’s fine, but make sure first that Jesus is the focus of your heart.