CHRISTMAS - The Financial Strain - Is This You

"As Christmas draws near, it is actually one of the most dangerous times for many people more so than any other time of the year. Even though Christmas should draw us together around the reality of Jesus Christ and His presence in the world and our lives, it often doesn't. The reality for many of us is that Christmas produces a financial tension that overshadows the happiness of the holidays and creates long-term problems that last well into the new year.

I believe from what I have seen in my life and in alot of my friends also, financial pressure is one of the most dangerous forces people face. The beginning of almost all financial problems is when we are tempted to spend beyond our means.

Today, credit card companies, department stores and merchants of all kinds are making it easier than ever for us to buy what we want. Without discipline and forethought, we can easily get ourselves overcommitted and then face bills we can't pay. This always creates tremendous tension on you and how you view your own every day life.

This fact should sober all of us up to the dangers of overspending. As you enter into the holiday season, I hope you are able to purchase some special gifts for those people you care about. It's okay to do this every year, as we all enjoy giving and receiving gifts. But we all need to have certain rules that keep the holidays enjoyable and keep us from financial problems.

First rule is:... Christmas is about Jesus. Make sure that Christmas isn't just associated with getting something but is focused on the birth, and who he was and why he was born. Christmas is really the celebration of gift giving to each other as a extension of our worship of his birth to remember him, it's like when give some one a gift at their birthday any other time of the year, but at this time it's about the (Birth of a child in memory of him).

Another rule:...Don't !! compromise yourselves financially. It's okay to have arrangements with certain relatives, or friends where you all understand that you aren't going to be buying for each other or if you do, each of you will be giving each other only $$ money free-token gifts example: (Adopt a family together, clear a debt they owed you, free babysitting, house-cleaning, yard-work, nice get-together with each other or just a simple card are all great gifts from the heart. You don't have to feel cheap just feel good about what your doing for others,
I believe the thought is what counts most—not the amount that was spent.

Lets talk about just everyday life for a second, over the years that having too much debt robs the joy of anything you have ownd or have purchased right! It's like buying a house you can't afford, long after the excitement of buying it has worn off the pressure of making the payments lingers. That pressure can be overwhelming and negatively affects everything else in life.

WARNING STOP!!..Before you charge up your credit cards or sign up for some of those (no-payments, no-interest deals), think about the future implications of what you are doing to yourself for the next many months, can you really afford the extra payments ??

Can you really afford these payments without putting stress on your personal life and budget? Do you really need to get these things now? Is Jesus at the center of your Christmas or have you gotten swept up in the commercialization of the season or guilt ?

I don't want to sound like a Scrooge. I love buying gifts for people I care about even those I don't at this time of year!! I enjoy receiving gifts at Christmas, just as much as the next person. I'm sure you also enjoy Christmas in this way as me. But ..I'm just encouraging all of us to keep Jesus first and be careful about debt and overspending, long after the gift giving is over I promise you others will remember you for the good things you did for them MORE. Then some gift that you over-paid for (out of guilt)that sits in the back of their closet forgotton.

I'll leave you with this thought:.. A few Christmases ago I watched someone give a very nice gift to one of their children. They were thrilled the parents had their video camera rolling as the child opened it. They were obviously more excited than the child. He ended up ignoring the toy and played with the box for hours. Expensive box ...Huh! "