Deciding what gifts to give at Christmas (or any other time) is very frustrating for me. How much can I, or should I, spend? What do they really want, or need? What about those relatives or friends I rarely see? Many times I have found myself wandering through store after store, surveying hundreds of items and not finding one thing that I think would be a good gift. Many of the things I look at are either too expensive, or they are just plain useless. Some potential gifts might be OK, but how do I know whether or not the person already owns that item? On top of that, I know I have made some poor decisions in the past. I’m probably not supposed to know this, but some of my past gifts were secretly returned for better gifts. Months later I have found other gifts I’ve given sitting on a shelf unused.
How am I supposed to know what another person needs or wants? Decisions, decisions! I chuckled when I read Yogi Berra’s advice on decision-making: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” That is funny, but not very helpful.
In the big scheme of things what gifts to buy is not as important as many other choices you and I face on a regular basis. Who should I spend my time with? What should I do with my free time? How can I be a good example to those close to me? What do I do about that person who irritates the dickens out of me? How do I handle that relative who is bossy and controlling? The list goes on and on. Thankfully, there is help.
God has promised to help us make good decisions (see James 1:5), but first we need an accurate understanding about God Himself. This is important because the Creator is the One who has decided how everything should work. “Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23–24).
Without meaning to, there is an old Carl Reiner/Mel Brooks comedy sketch that illustrates this truth. Reiner is interviewing a very old man, played by Mel Brooks. At one point, Carl Reiner asks the old man, “Did you always believe in God?”
Brooks: “No. We had a guy in our village name Phil, and for a time we worshiped him.”
Reiner: “You worshiped a guy named Phil? Why?”
Brooks: “Because he was big, and mean, and he could break you in two with his bare hands.”
Reiner: “Did you have prayers?”
Brooks: “Yes, would you like to hear one? ‘O Phil, please don’t be mean, and hurt us, or break us in two with your bare hands.’”
Reiner: “So when did you start worshiping God?”
Brooks: “Well, one day a big thunderstorm came up, and a lightning bolt hit Phil. We gathered around and saw that he was dead. Then we said to one another, ‘There’s something bigger than Phil!’”
We all have to realize there is something – Someone actually – who is much bigger than we are and Someone who is even bigger than all our problems combined. Wrong ideas about God, no matter how sincere, will lead to unintended results. “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). It is vitally important that we allow God to tell us who He is, instead of being satisfied with what our imagination tells us.
How can we know what God is like? That’s why reading and understanding God’s Word is so important. The Bible teaches that God is all-powerful, holy, pure, eternal, and hates our attempts to live independent of Him. His standards will never change, and He will always do what is right.
Once we accept what God says about Himself, then we can see how much He loves us. In the person of Jesus Christ, He became one of us, and suffered in our place. Only when we accept His gift of salvation can we “know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Sadly, we tend to forget all about God until life gets out of control. God controls everything, though, and is actively involved in all that happens to us, whether we see it or not. Our challenge is to trust in God’s sovereign control of all things. God wants to be, and deserves to be, the center focus of everything. When that happens, God lovingly directs all our choices – about our time and money, about our children and relatives, and about our future. Seeking God is both a lifelong goal, as well as a very rewarding journey.
You are welcome to join us on this journey as we seek God together at Bethel Chapel Church. We have His Word to guide us, and the encouragement of others who are seeking Him, too. You can learn more about us at www.BethelChapelChurch.com.
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