What Else Do You Want?

Even after the last present was opened, as a kid I was always searching diligently under the family tree, longing to find one more present with my name on it. It’s probably why we could all sympathize with Ralphie (from “The Christmas Story”) when he longed for a bb gun instead of the football "An Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!"

Christmas time has the possibility to bring out the greed in each of us; the Bible calls this “coveting”. Without God, we all have the possibility of breaking several of the Ten Commandments; including: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Exodus 20:17)

Part of the reason “coveting” is sin is because in it we try to get things for ourselves instead of relying on God. WE are the ones who know best and so WE are the ones who drool over what someone else has. And that hurts and offends the God who has revealed Himself as a Father and as a provider.

I don’t think that God is against us wanting; but rather against us trying to get something that we THINK will lead to our satisfaction and happiness. So, we settle for less than what God would have given by taking something He didn’t want us to have. Instead of the choicest foods we end up eating “pabulum” (soft, bland, mushy, unappetizing and thus with little worthwhile content; used as a food for weak and invalid people). God knows what we need; we need to ask Him to provide and look to Him alone.

In the story of King David sinning with Bathsheba, I recently noticed a verse that perhaps explains what I mean. In verse 8 of 2 Samuel 12, God (through the prophet Nathan) is wondering why David didn’t go to God to get his needs met. God tells David; “And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more!”

As you spend time this Christmas season, learn to look to God alone to meet your needs; ask Him so that you stay away from coveting something that is not rightfully yours.

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! 9 Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? (2 Samuel 12:7-9)

Remember; Jesus is the reason for the season.

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs:

"Christmas Time" by One Bad Pig from the album “Swine Flew”

Santa Claus is coming and the kids are getting greedy
It´s Christmas time
I know it´s in the story ´cause I seen it on the TV
It´s Christmas time, it´s Christmas time

You go into the forest and you cut down all the trees
It´s Christmas time
I know you got a power saw, but who plant the seeds
It´s Christmas time, it´s Christmas time

Chorus:
Whoa, whoa
Whoa, it´s Christmas time
Whoa, whoa baby
Whoa, whoa
Whoa, it´s Christmas time
Whoa, whoa baby
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

I gotta buy a present, can´t remember who it´s for
It´s Christmas time
I´ll see you in a hour when I get back from the store
It´s Christmas time, it´s Christmas time

Whoa, whoa
Whoa, it´s Christmas time
Whoa, whoa baby
Whoa, whoa
Whoa, it´s Christmas time
Whoa, whoa baby
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

It used to be the birthday of The Man who saved our necks
It´s Christmas time

Now it stands for Santa Claus, they spell it with an "X"!

It´s Christmas time, it´s Christmas time

Merry Christmas ya´ll

It´s Christmas time, it´s Christmas time...

(TURN UP THE VOLUME TO HEAR IT)
http://www.myspace.com/onebadpig/music/songs/christmas-time-30843049