“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

 –Romans 12:2

Christmas time is one of my favorite times of the year. I really enjoy all of the decorations and lights that people put up in, around, or on their houses and trees. But one of the best parts of the Christmas season are the Christmas movies that start showing on TV. You’ve got The Christmas Story, It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34^th Street, Santa Clause, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Home Alone Christmas, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and one of my favorites… Elf!

Last night as we were meeting for youth group we started doing and Elf study. That just means that I get to watch movies in my office while I prepare for leading the study. But yesterday we watched the first half an hour of the movie and got into a discussion about how Buddy the elf doesn’t fit in wherever he is. When he is living with the elves in the North Pole he is different. He is tall and out of place because he is human and not an elf. He doesn’t do things as fast as the elves but he does have their Christmas spirit. Then when he goes to find his dad in New York we see that he doesn’t fit in again. He is dressed unusually and is very cheerful. He wants people to be happy and make sure that things get done the right way for Santa’s arrival the next day.

The beginning of Buddy’s story sounds a lot like our lives as Christians here on earth. We don’t always fit in or belong because we don’t have the same beliefs or ideals that everyone else around us have. Sometimes we even get brought down or ridiculed because of those things. But that’s okay. In Romans 12 it talks about how we are not to conform to this world. Now does that mean that we can’t go to baseball games, or eat hot dogs because that is something of this world? No, because God created all of those things. In Genesis 1 we read about how God created the world and everything in it and called it all good. So the things of this world aren’t necessarily bad. It is when we start making those things of this world, like money and fame, more important in our lives than God and what He has done for us.

Unfortunately Christmas is a time where we all get sucked into that idea. We get focused on making sure that all of our Christmas presents are bought for others, and that our tree looks the best it can. We focus on making sure we get our meals cooked for everyone who is coming over, or we don’t even take the time to acknowledge the Christmas season because we put our jobs and our careers ahead of everything else that’s going on. Thankfully, there is nothing that can get in the way of what God has done for us. He has set us apart from this world and chosen us to be His vessels to take the message of Jesus’ birth to all of creation. We are the ones who are different here on earth and get to share that message in our everyday lives by living and caring for others. Just like Buddy spreading the Christmas spirit, we get to share the good news of God’s love throughout our neighborhoods and everywhere we go!

Question of the day: Where can we share the message of Jesus Birth today?

“The real end of prayer is not so much to get this or that single desire granted, as to put human life into full and joyful conformity with the will of God.” –Charles Bent