Christmas Is Not Your Birthday

Creating Miracles

One of the things that has bothered me for a long time is how Christians have gotten so caught up in the spirit of consumerism. Jesus came to break the chains of oppression and bondage; I believe that debt driven by the spirit of materialism is one of the greatest forms of bondage in the Western culture today.

Materialism drives slave labor in foreign markets; many of the goods that we purchase are produced by slave and child labor in other parts of the world. Also, materialism, our desire for bigger, better and more, creates environmental challenges. This total spirit of materialism has encroached into Christmas, and we Christians have bought into it.

What I wanted to do was change the focus and get Christians to begin to really focus on Jesus’ birthday and celebrating the counterculture Messiah at Christmas in a way that honors his birth. My initial attempt was to get people to spend less, not only on themselves, but to really live within their means and use Christmas as a time to focus their resources on the least and the lost. My initial challenge to people was that whatever they spend on themselves to spend an equal amount on a missional project. For Ginghamsburg that was the Sudan Project. When people focus outside of their own families at Christmas and bring in an equal amount for God’s purposes, it creates what I call the “miracle of the loaves and fishes”.

Michael Slaughter Mike Slaughter is the lead pastor at Ginghamsburg Church and spiritual entrepreneur of ministry marketplace innovations. His life-long passion to reach the lost and set the oppressed free has now made him a tireless and leading advocate for the children, women and men of Darfur, Sudan. He is also the author of Christmas Is Not Your Birthday. Visit his Web site at mikeslaughter.com.

Has Christmas Been Hijacked?

Biblically the focus of Jesus’ birth would be God’s redemptive work of salvation in the world. The mission of Jesus, in Isaiah 61, is to preach the good news to the poor and set the oppressed people free from all the forces of oppression, including the force of materialism.

What we have done has taken Christmas and abandoned the whole reason of Jesus’ birth, which was to give his life for the life of the world and for the least and the lost. We have professed an alliance to Jesus but have turned it upon ourselves and made Christmas a hedonistic feast of gluttony instead of a sacrificial giving of ourselves with Christ for the life of the world.

Black Friday

The day after Thanksgiving is called “Black Friday.” I am amazed by the number of people that I see camping out in parking lots of malls and stores to get the latest electronic gadget at an incredible price. These people line up in crowds for hours before the stores open and then stampede their way through a store to be first in line. In 2008 a worker died due to an out-of-control mob of shoppers.

To me it shows how we cease to be human and give into animalistic instincts. If anything should wake up the church, it is this kind of frenzy we see the day after Thanksgiving, a frenzy that is totally based in consumeristic mindset, which is the opposite of what Jesus is calling us to be as his disciples.

What Does Jesus Want?

Jesus said “follow me.” The rich young ruler asked what he must do to receive eternal life. Jesus said not only keep the commandments, but sell all your possessions... in other words “let go” of the consumerist worldview in which you believe you will find life and purpose. Let go of that worldview, and instead give to the poor, and come and follow me.

What we have to do is let go of the grip of the materialistic culture, connect our resources and our heart to the heart of God, share with the least and the lost, and then follow Jesus in giving our lives sacrificially for the life of the world. It is when we lose ourselves that we find ourselves and truly begin to experience the abundant life that Jesus calls us to live.

What You Can Do

Jesus said do unto others as you would have others do unto you. I think we can begin to celebrate Christmas in a way that is more focused on relationships, getting together with people we love, celebrating the tradition of eating together, and decorating in honor and in the celebration of Jesus’ birth. For many Americans, Christmas means they go further into debt. Let’s not purchase to the point that it creates debt. Instead let’s literally take the meaning of Christ’s birth in such a way that whatever we spend on ourselves and our families, we also spend or bring in an equal amount to serve Jesus’ mission somewhere in the world.

At Ginghamsburg Church, we focus on our work in Sudan. For others, it may be a community homeless shelter or an outreach mission in the surrounding community or in another country. Let’s take a holistic approach where we take time off to celebrate the gift of relationships with family and friends, but also give sacrificially for Jesus’ mission. This goes way beyond putting a pair of mittens on the Christmas tree in the church lobby or buying some $10 toy for a child. As Christians we need to learn not just to make donations, but to learn to give sacrificially. I think it is very much in the spirit of Christ’s birth to do equally for others. So, if you spend $500 on your family, then spend $500 in a way that honors Jesus on his birthday.

About The Book

Every year, we say we’re going to cut back, simplify, and have a family Christmas that focuses on the real reason for the season—Jesus. But every year, advertisements beckon, the children plead, and it seems easier just to indulge our wants and whims. Overspending, overeating, materialism, and busyness rob us of our peace and joy and rob Jesus of his rightful role as the center of our celebration.

This Christmas, cut through the hype that leaves you exhausted and broke at the end of the year. Instead, experience the peace of knowing that God is truly with us, the joy of giving sacrificially, and the love of a Savior who gave everything he had for us. In five short, engaging chapters, Pastor Mike Slaughter inspires readers to approach Christmas differently, and be transformed in the process. Check out Christmas Is Not Your Birthday.