Let’s be different this Christmas season. (yes, the commercials are already starting…)
As a college student, I am completely aware of how hard it is to do anything that actually feels like we’re making a difference. We don’t have a lot of money, and we’re at college to get a degree, so realistically school work takes up a lot of our time.
But as Christians, it doesn’t matter whether we’re college students, busy, or don’t have a lot of money – we are still called to be holy, or “set apart” for Christ. That means we should look DIFFERENT from the rest of our culture. Not only by our words should His love and salvation be proclaimed, but in our every action and in our very lifestyles His Gospel should be seen. Even in our self-centered, money-driven, materialistic culture, we are called to live a life that is instead focused on Christ and His purposes, on living selflessly for others, in living simply and giving more. We are called to become like Christ and live out the grace we have received from Him. As a college student living in this culture, I have wrestled with how to do that. And God has shown me that it is so much more often about the little things than the big: how I talk to people, what I spend my money on in the day to day, my priorities. And this upcoming Christmas season we have a chance to live differently for Christ in the little things.
We have a chance to make Christmas what it is really about again: not a holiday to celebrate how much money we have and how many presents we can give, but rather a holiday to celebrate Love coming to earth, salvation incarnate, Grace born in human flesh, the embodiment of a merciful God. So this Christmas, please join myself and others in the Advent Conspiracy (watch this awesome video at www.adventconspiracy.org). Give up the money you would spend on just ONE family member or friend (just one, although if you feel led, please do more!) and spend TIME with that person instead. Have a conversation with them, hang out with them, show them LOVE. Then take that money and BE the Church. Give it to a person, a cause, a place that truly needs it this Christmas. Live out the Gospel – sacrifice something in yourself and in your life to give to another. Through this, who knows how many will be able to see Christ through your actions and hear about Him through your words.
Many of us will be donating our money to strengthen the fight against human trafficking, and if you wish to join us in that, facebook me or go to www.ijm.org and donate your money there! But if there is another person or cause that you are passionate about, give your money there. But make sure you’re not just giving away money – change something in YOUR lifestyle this Christmas season! Spend time with that family member you haven’t really talked to in years, or that friend that hurt your feelings a while ago, or that brother that is going through a really hard time right now. Show CHRIST this season.
Then come join us on Wednesday, November 18 at 7 pm in Jepson 100 at the University of Mary Washington and help us spread this revolution! Join the Justice Team of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship as we show IJM’s new documentary, “At the End of Slavery,” and work to raise awareness about human trafficking! There will be a guest speaker from IJM who will be talking about the issue after the documentary and leading a discussion time, and then we’ll have the opportunity to write to our senators and ask them to join us in fighting human trafficking. We will also be asking everyone to join us in living more simply this Christmas season and donating some of the money that they would have spent on presents to IJM! We’ll also have a chance to talk about the hope we can have in Christ despite human trafficking and other evils that exist in this world. So come help us be the hands and feet of Christ as we show His love and hope! Let’s live like HIM this season.
And who knows how this may carry on after Christmas? Maybe instead of spending that $10 a week at Starbucks (I am speaking directly to myself here…) we could give it to that human rights group we’ve always wanted to be able to support or a friend going through a really hard time. Maybe when you go buy groceries every week, spend an extra $5 on food that you donate to the homeless shelter every week. It is the little lifestyle changes sometimes that do the most to change our hearts and the world….
Live differently. Love because Christ has loved us and given His life for us. Let’s be moved to ACTION by His GRACE.
“We love because He first loved us.”
-1 John 4:19
