Maximize
When I first heard the term "working poor," I thought it was some kind of sick joke. I could not fathom the idea that someone could work forty hours and still live below the poverty line. I did not think that homelessness just meant you didn't have an address. You could still have a job and sleep in your car. You could rent a room for a week and pay for storage. I was blissfully unaware. The wealth gap is expanding. The middle class is simply making ends meet. Some of us are one paycheck away from poverty. Our government is passing laws to ensure that the rich get richer and the poor stay impoverished.
“No person can maximize the American Dream on the minimum wage.”
Good Measure
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
I have heard this scripture referenced so many times right before the church offering. I remember ushers passing baskets down the row or beckoning us to walk around to give our offering in the baskets that the deacons were holding. My grandfather was a deacon at the church I grew up in, so devotion and offering were two times I knew he would be front and center. I also knew that it was not a time for me to have conversations or to play in church because I would be in his line of sight. My grandmother always made sure that I had some change or a dollar to put in church.
I was taught that even if you didn't have anything to give, you still touch the basket. My mother instilled in me the principles of tithing. I can admit that I didn't truly grasp what I was doing until I was much older. I knew that God should get at least ten percent. Interesting enough, I learned about the 80-10-10 financial plan. Live off 80% of your income, save 10%, and give 10%. Of course, you can live off a smaller percentage and invest and save more. The percentages are personal, but the plan works. I choose to give 10% to God, some may choose to give 10% to a charity. Some may choose to give more or save more. We can not discount the fact that most of us have been given a good measure. We just don't always maximize what we've been given. We don't save. We don't invest, and most of us live above our means. It's a new year. We can change old habits. We can do something new. We can make better financial decisions. We can choose to be financially healthy. We can take our good measure, and be good stewards.
Mercy
mer·cy (ˈmərsē) noun- compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.
We will never do enough good deeds. We will never show enough kindness. We will never give enough love to deserve God's mercy. It is new every morning. No matter what we did the day before if we wake up, we have a second chance to get it right. We can repent. We can make an about-face. We can try again, every day. Amen to that. Great is thy faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
The Giver
Sometimes, we lose sight of the giver because we get caught up in the gift. The gift is merely the byproduct of the source. The giver is our source. The giver is the source of strength. The giver is the source of encouragement. The giver is the source of our wisdom. The giver is the source of our joy. The giver is the source of our being. The giver is God.
Acts 17:28 (KJV) For in him we live, and move, and have our being;
Joy
I went to bed with news of someone's death, and woke up this morning with news of someone's death. Every year, it seems that more and more people transition through the holidays, which in turns makes it hard for those people to endure the holidays the following year. How can we celebrate with so much gloom and doom? How can I have joy in the midst of all this sorrow and pain? Well, joy is a feeling, but it's also a choice. You can choose to wallow in despair and sadness or you can relish in memories of joy and happiness. Joy is a gift that you can open and share with the world or you can leave it unopened. Choose joy! It's an easier burden to bear.
"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves."- Buddha
Sidenote: What does Buddha have to do with Christmas? I've always said that we have more in common than we do differences. Find your common ground. Find joy! Read more at http://www.alanpeto.com/buddhism/understanding-buddhist-christmas/
Profess
One of my favorite Christmas songs is Go Tell it on the Mountain. When I sang in the children's choir, I remember trying my hardest to be the loudest to sing that part. I wanted everyone to know that I knew the words, and I was excited about singing that song. I'm sure it was comic relief for all those who sat in the audience every year for those Christmas programs. I know that I sit back and chuckle at children just like me at all the Christmas recitals. I believed, and I professed. It was just that easy. Over time, my voice has gotten quieter. My light has gotten dimmer, and my profession has gotten weaker. Why? Do I not still believe? Of course, I do...but I've allowed life to happen, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. This Christmas season we need to let our light shine. We need to Go Tell it on the Mountain. We need to profess.
Collaborate
Teamwork makes the dream work. We're better together. There is no "I" in team. There is strength in numbers. We've all heard these phrases. There is truth in all of them. Truth is, we all need help sometimes. We all need support. The best kind of team is when you can collaborate with someone whose strengths are your weaknesses and visa versa. Identify your strengths. Acknowledge your weaknesses. Seek partnerships that are mutually beneficial. Collaborate.