For thirteen years, my family and I enjoyed a ministry to U.S. military on the island of Okinawa. The holidays always came with added work and added joy. One of my duties on Thanksgiving and Christmas mornings was to get the 30 pounds of potatoes peeled, cut, boiled and mashed. I was the mashed potatoes man. Having children that were still young enough to think that peeling potatoes was fun proved helpful. Every year, as we peeled spuds, I would remind my children who we were peeling potatoes for. The conversation would go like this:
“Kids, do you know who we are peeling potatoes for today?”
“Yes Dad, the Marines”
“No. It is true that Marines are coming for lunch today and they will eat all of these potatoes. But there is someone even more special that we are fixing these mashed potatoes for.”
I would then tell them about Matthew 25:31-46. You can read the whole passage, but the gist of my encouragement to my kids were the words of Jesus, “…as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matt. 25:40 ESV). I wanted my children to know that showing love to Marines who were far from home was the same as showing love to Jesus. I assured them that Jesus would be very pleased with the mashed potatoes. You should have seen the peelings fly!
That Jesus equates helping those in need as the same as helping him is not only true during the holidays. It is true all year long. It seems though that at this time of year we see more clearly those who are lonely, hungry, thirsty and marginalized. Perhaps it is because we tend to spend more money on ourselves and our family this month.
This is the perfect time of year to remember another statement that Jesus made: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:39 ESV). This is no small statement. The fact is that this is one of two commands that make up the two greatest commands given. Love God and love others as yourself. Jesus said that “all of the law and the Prophets” hang on these two commands.
Men, may I give you a challenge as we enter the month of Christmas? Gather your family for a meeting. Read through these two passages with them. Then discuss how, as a family, you can love Jesus and others during this Christmas season. Do you have a budget for how much money you will spend on yourselves? If you do not, I recommend that you create one. I know I am probably in the minority, but I set aside money every month all year long for Christmas spending. This is the month that my wife and I sit down and figure out how we will use our Christmas money. My plan this year is to sit down with my whole family and encourage them that we should love others as much as we love ourselves. In other words, I am going to ask them that we use half of the money we saved for Christmas on others who have needs. This means that our Christmas spending on others who have need will match our spending on ourselves.
Here are some ideas for how you might spend your money this month:
- Go to www.VOMbooks.com (Voice of the Martyrs) where you can donate funds or materials to Christians in persecuted areas of the world.
- Bring gifts and food to church for our December 19, Be the Church day.
- Make a special “over and above” gift to BBC to help fund the pancake breakfast on December 19.
- Simply give some money to a family who is struggling more than you this year.
- Buy a few gift cards at practical stores or grocery stores to have on hand to give away as you see need this month.
My challenge to you is to lead your family this month to love others as much as you love yourselves. Imagine the how excited you would be to buy Jesus some food, clothing or a Bible! That is precisely the opportunity that you and your family have.
One last request: send an email to darliskas@bethanybiblechurch.org and share your stories of how this goes for you and your family.
Have a great December!
Pastor Drew
