December 17, 2010

A twist on the holiday mindset

“Prosperity knits a man to the World. He feels he's finding his place in it, while really it is finding its place in him.”

C.S. Lewis

For some reason, the holidays always seem to create this pressure that everything needs to be perfect. The gifts, the decorations, the parties—and that brings on a feeling that all other areas of our lives must follow suite immediately, or else we cannot be happy and enjoy the season.

This brings me to another C.S. Lewis quote: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.

Mr. Lewis hits the nail on the head: we are not supposed to be completely happy on earth, because earth is not our home. Paul tells us in II Corinthians 5:1-8:

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Let us be thankful when we do not feel 100% happy here because it points us to heaven. It gives us something to truly anticipate and look forward to. We have this hope because Jesus (not giving up his deity) gained humanity and came to earth. He made the ultimate sacrifice for our sakes so that we might one day live forever in heaven with Him. This is what we should revel in and meditate on this season. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

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