It’s Just SO Hard to be a Christian

The world is constantly pulling at you. Your friend keep asking when you are going to get a new job so you can make more money, and your boss keeps asking you when you are going to take your job seriously because he needs you to  make more money. Politicians keep telling you that unless you make more money, you are lazy and need to go out and try to make more money. On top of all that....this week is Christmas, so EVERY story and online shopping warehouse is trying to get you to spend more money by convincing you that your family will only think you love them if you spend...you got it.....more money on THEM! All you want to do is think about Christ at Christmas but everywhere you turn, all anyone seems to care about is money, money, money.

Check out today’s Gospel Reading: Mark 10:24-32 (RSV) - The Lord said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for these who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God." Peter began to say to him, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first." And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.

Worrying about money isn’t anything new. What’s new is your willingness to put God above money. What’s new is the freedom that you have to escape the constant torment from society about money. What’s new is Christmas. Jesus Christ became one of us, the same in every way except sin (see Hebrews 4.15) SO THAT you would no longer be a slave to money. It’s your choice to truly honor Christ during Christmas this weekend. It isn’t easy, but it is possible.