Season in Review

I’m back where I started in November. The only remnant of Christmas 2011 is our Christmas tree standing tall in the Living room, waiting for us to tackle it and pack it up for another few months (there’s only ten months to go before we pull it out again!). Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

There have been dinners and family times and our traditional Christmas eve story time. Walking through Advent with our faith community, all of which culminated in celebration with a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service and Christmas Day “birthday bash” – more food and desserts! Serenades, gift-giving (and receiving), and hearing stories about people who said “you made my Christmas”. All in all, it has been … could I say “successful” without soiling the Season with a ‘program’ mentality?

The challenge for all of us now is keeping Christmas alive all year long. The principles to do that are just as applicable on January 2 as they were on December 24.

First, remember Who it’s about. Excluding Jesus from Christmas is like having a birthday party but forgetting to invite the one born! Yeah, it’s a party of sorts but it does not have the same ‘punch’ as having the “guest of honour” front-row-center. Things would not have felt right or complete when I flew to Nova Scotia to celebrate my mom’s 70th birthday, if she wasn’t in the picture. Why bother?

Second, remember who it’s about. It’s all about you – and me! God is always so desperate to be in relationship with us, he pursues us relentlessly! Any time we stop to realise we are loved deeply, unconditionally, enough that the Lover would even die for us, we become consumed with a response that is generous, excited and joyful. We can’t help ourselves!

Well, it’s time to get the tree packed away. I hope though today, January 2, 2012, marks the moment when everything that tinsel, bulbs and gift-wrap represents is now unleashed in my living. Christmas, 24/7.

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Season in Review

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Faithful or Successful?

I’ve heard it many times. I’ve said it a few actually. Most recently I heard a very renown person, for whom I have the deepest respect, say it. 

“We should not concern ourselves with being successful. We just have to be faithful.” 

I respectfully offer another point of view. 

I suggest the problem here is our definition of being successful. 

The world’s point of view on success involves a host of options. It is measured by what we acquire versus where we stand in relationship to other people. If we “have more” than they do, then we’re more successful. They may experience some measure of success but not as much as me if I have more. Social status, things like having the designated parking space at work that no one else has, is deemed a successful marker. You get the drill. 

The idea of not being successful but faithful is the connotation that success has to be measured by these standards. 

I don’t think that is God’s way of measuring success. If it is, we would have to conclude that Jesus was a total failure. He didn’t own any real estate. Jesus said, ““Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:19-21) He never travelled very far. History shows that the only world he touched physically he was able to walk to it. Jesus ate in corn fields and friends houses (Mary and Martha) because he didn’t have a job! 

Something tells me that to be faithful is to be successful. How can anyone be a failure when following God’s will for their lives and relationships, as far as a person can understand those things? 

Franciscan monk, Saint Francis is a case in point (if you don’t know this man, Google him! Fascinating man!) One story as told by Richard J. Foster and Gayle D. Beebe in “Longing for God”, in my thinking, demonstrates being successful while having none of the measurements society holds to its chest. With this story I conclude. Remember, Francis’ enraged father disinherited him because of his attitude about Jesus. Francis stood to inherit a significant inheritance. 

“Once Francis and Brother Masseo went begging for bread in a small village. Returning with a few dried crusts, they searched until they found a spring for drinking and a flat rock for a table. As they ate their meager lunch, Francis exclaimed several times, “Oh Brother Masseo, we do not deserve such a great treasure as this!” Finally Brother Masseo protested that such poverty could hardly be called a treasure. They had no cloth, no knife, no dish, no bowl, no house, no table. Elated Francis replied, “That is what I consider a great treasure – where nothing has been prepared by human labor. But everything here has been supplied by Divine Providence, as it evidenced in the baked bread, fine stone table, and the clear spring.” Joyfully they finished their meal and then journey on toward France rejoicing and praising the Lord in song.” 

I hope I discover success every day in not needing more, happy with what I have and be content with even less. Paul the Apostle spoke of it (Philippians 4:11).  

If we can arrive here, I hardly thing anyone can point a finger to say we’re a failure, or if you want it more politely, we’re not successful.  

I wonder who the real un-successful is of the two?

The next time you’re not feeling great about "where you’re at" or how poorly you feel you measure up in the world’s eyes, stand back and measure things with a new ruler. Determine where you are in relationship to where God wants you to be and if you’re following as closely and faithfully as you can, he says your successful! Look it up in "the Good Book". It’s all there!

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