Christmas and the Abundance Mentality

Over the last 3 weeks of Advent, we’ve been watching Hallmark movies and Christmas specials that celebrate the importance and true meaning of Christmas, rather than the routine fare offered on TV.  The stories and music have been a reminder that Christmas really is a special time of the year, not because of the gift-giving and hubbub of the “holiday season,” but because the birth of Christ changed everything for humanity.  Because Our Lord came down to earth, we are a new creation, and the good news of God’s infinite love and mercy is proclaimed.

Sadly, there are many who insist that even the mention of Christmas is offensive to non-Christians, hence the many retailers who avoid using the word Christmas, but depend on the uptick in holiday sales for as much as half their annual revenue, hence the term “black Friday,” going from red ink (loss), to profit.  Even more egregious is the recent and very vocal trend of labeling Christian speech as offensive, insisting that it be eradicated from the public square and relegated to worship services alone.  It seems that our “tolerance” for gay marriage now means that Christians are no longer free to express their religious belief in Christmas, or the sanctity of marriage in public.  In other words, there is no tolerance for the expression of Christian beliefs.

I was reminded of this while listening to the traditional Christmas Carol, “I Heard the bells on Christmas Day.”   Here are the lyrics, with my comments to the right.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day                            Henry W. Longfellow, an abolitionist,
Their old familiar carols play,                                     wrote these lyrics in 1863 when his son
And wild and sweet the words repeat                       was fighting in the Civil War. 
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,                       Christianity has been around for 2000 years,
The belfries of all Christendom                                  proclaiming the good news of salvation,
Had rolled along the unbroken song                         guiding humanity toward peace and civility.
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:                              But there is much hatred in the world
"There is no peace on earth," I said,                         and it mocks Christian belief, destroying
"For hate is strong and mocks the song                   peace and shattering lives.
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:             Yet, there is reason for hope because we
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;                         know that the love of God is far greater
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,                      than human weakness, and “right” will
With peace on earth, good will to men."                 prevail in the end.

Although Longfellow misquotes scripture which says, “Peace on earth to men of good will,” probably to make the verses flow, his message is clear:  God IS NOT dead.  Right will prevail, no matter how bleak things may seem, or how much Christianity is mocked. 

One of the many reasons why Christmas is so very important is that Jesus revealed in word and action, how great is the love of God.   God’s love is infinite, it can never run out, no matter what transpires.  Even the mockery, humiliation, torture and death of His Son Jesus, could not prevent the love of God from reaching across time and space to save all humanity.  Jesus Himself demonstrated this over and over again when He said, “Be not afraid.”   We have nothing to fear because the love of God will overcome every adversity, every act of violence, and every sin.  For our part, we can choose to participate in God’s love and allow it to flow through our lives, or we can continue to depend on ourselves alone.

Choosing God’s love is to adopt what has been called the “abundance mentality.”  We have so much to be grateful for, we sometimes take it all for granted, and focus instead on what we want rather than appreciating what we already have in life.  We may unwittingly have a “scarcity mentality” in which we focus too much on what we don’t have, and rely too much on ourselves alone.  Taking ourselves too seriously is a symptom of the scarcity mindset, and leads to disappointment, anxiety, and depression.   With an abundance mentality, we realize that life is a miraculous gift of God, and is not much more than a short gestation period before we commence our eternal life which will go on forever in the Presence of God.  Appreciating what we already have, realizing that the love of God holds us in existence and loves us beyond our comprehension, allows us to look beyond minor disappointments.  I’ll never forget one of the lessons my mother taught me and my siblings about this.  When one of us was faced with a disappointment, mom would say, “If that’s the worst thing that ever happens to you in life, you’ll be the luckiest person on earth.”  She’d then go on to soothe our hurt feelings and remind us of all the good things we have in life.

Adopting an abundance mentality means believing in the good news of God’s love and forgiveness.  If life was fair, Jesus would not have been crucified.  Despite the hardships and pain He endured for us, He established a “New and Eternal Covenant” with God The Father on our behalf, offering His Body and Blood for our salvation.  Knowing this and believing it is not enough.  We must put the Word of God into action in our lives.  “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who builds his house on rock.” (Matt 7:24)  Embracing the love of God and allowing it to flow through us, will transform our lives and enable us to endure the inevitable disappointments of life, knowing that the true meaning and purpose of our lives is to be with God for all eternity.   All of this is possible because Christ came to earth.  This is the real meaning of Christmas which must not be swept aside by those who are offended by the Truth.