What Really Matters

The day after Christmas...floors covered in new toys, boxes, bags and paper still around the house, empty stockings, a slowly dying tree (which will stay up till New Years because it's tradition...ok and because I'm too tired to take it all down yet!). We spent yesterday enjoying each other, our family and too many gifts. We spent Christmas Eve being reminded of God's gift to us, of the real "reason for the season" - that Jesus came to redeem us. 

I spent the morning after Christmas enjoying a cup of coffee in the quiet, yep, quiet. (Didn't say in the "clean", just quiet). I don't do this often, I know I should, but I don't. See, I like my sleep. I LOVE my sleep. So it's not my "thing" to wake up early to do anything, ever. However, I started a bible study back in June with two friends and I have yet to complete it. It's not because the study is dull, it's actually one of the best ones I've ever done. It's because I don't make time. But here's a cool thing...even when I haven't sat down with it for a month, God still meets me where I am. Here's a passage from the study today... 

Phil 1:10 (NLT) - "For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return." 

Did you see that first part? Read it again. Did it catch your breath like it did mine? For I want you to understand WHAT REALLY MATTERS. How completely appropriate for us this time of year, any time of year really. It's not the boxes and papers still needing to be picked up. It's not the dishes piled up from a late night snack. It's not even the three loads of laundry waiting in the hampers (and let's not forget the one still in the dryer from yesterday). 

What REALLY MATTERS. It's spending time with God, "growing in knowledge and understanding" (Phil 1:9). It's enjoying our kids, our grandkids, our parents, our spouses, our friends while we still can. It's relishing all we've been blessed with and finding ways to share ourselves and our God with others. It's realizing when the toddler has frustrated me to a point I want him in his crib all day...that I have been blessed with a toddler and an incredible 14 year old and most of all...I have been blessed with Jesus. 

 I know we all love our gifts, we all love our material things, I'm completely enjoying my mini-Keurig today (thanks mom and dad!!) :-) However, what really matters in our day to day lives is what keeps us going. Take time to do a bible study (don't have a group around you?  Start one with friends long distance like I do every summer...or start one yourself, I've done that too! Just go to lifeway.com and find one you like, buy the book and you can even download the videos!) Take some quiet time to just have a cup of tea, hot chocolate or coffee tomorrow morning, even if it's to read one bible verse or a one paragraph devotion or even the paper, just some quiet time and start with a prayer. Remind yourself of Paul's words when you find yourself getting caught up in the "oh, I have to get this for the house" or the "oh, I really need to buy this for...", especially the "oh, I wish I was smaller, richer, had what she had, etc..". 

What really matters is love that overflows more and more. What really matters is growing in knowledge and understanding. What really matters is in you, not around you...share it.