You might think it’s early, but it’s that time of year again. The television, radio, and print media are beginning to fill with advertisements for Christmas “stuff.”
Driving home from our Monday community group, I noticed that several homes in our neighborhood had their Christmas lights on and decorated Christmas trees inside. Yesterday, I picked up the mail and found fliers filled with pictures of artificial Christmas trees.
The trees ranged in size from two feet to too tall for my house. They were artificial spruce, pine, and fir, as well as generic “evergreens.” They were also a variety of colors. I saw silver, white, blue, and green, but there may have been more.
Some of the trees had lights already in place. Others were fully decorated with various themes, and many more were empty, waiting to be decorated when they got “home.”
Now, no matter what you think of Christmas trees, and Christians are quite divided on the issue (although it’s non-essential, so we need to show grace to those with dissenting views), those advertisements got me thinking. Christmas trees have a certain beauty, but it’s all from the outside. All the decorations are attached superficially.
It’s like the faith of many people. They wear their “religion” as an external badge, doing religious things and keeping laws from Scripture, laws from their particular faith tradition, and laws of their own making. They’re like the Pharisees of old: cold and lifeless on the inside but working very hard to look good to themselves and others on the outside.
They have convinced themselves that their appearance or good deeds make them righteous. This is a sad sort of pride because neither self-righteousness (which is never right) nor works brings salvation.
We’re called to be a much different type of tree—fruit trees. Our faith will show through, but we’re alive on the inside. We know our salvation and righteousness are only gifts from God. The beautiful fruit that shows is from the Holy Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
Have a look at your heart. Are you a fruit tree or a Christmas tree?
Until next time, may the love of Jesus quicken your heart and the Holy Spirit bring a large harvest from your life and faith walk to fruition.
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.
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