BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

Which Master Will You Serve? Matthew 6:24, "Amplified Bible, Classic Edition," says, “No one can serve two masters…. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).” It would be good to keep this scripture in mind during Christmastime. There is a deception in the world that says making your holidays memorable or successful requires spending lots of time, money and energy. Everywhere you look, there are more beautiful things to buy, more creative things to do, and pictures of someone else’s family looking happier than yours unless you produce that glorious holiday experience they expect. This is materialism in top form! At no other time of year do we expect a great spiritual encounter to be produced by such natural “stuff.” Don’t put yourself under pressure to measure up to what other people do. You’re serving God, not mammon or things. Success is really measured by how much you are led of the Lord. The whole point of maturing in your Christian walk is to be led by the Spirit of God. That requires getting your priorities in order. It means not putting off what is important in favor of doing things that don’t really matter. You won’t have time to do everything, but you will have time to accomplish those things the Lord tells you to do. God’s Priority—People Our responsibilities in the earth are so much more than decorating trees and wrapping pretty packages. It’s far more important for us to be sensitive and obedient to the Spirit of God, and far more important for us not to miss our prayer cues. If the Lord says, 'Forget decorating. I need you to pray today,' will you be willing to obey? If you aren’t, that’s a good indication things have taken priority over people in your life. You see, when God asks you to do something it’s always on behalf of other people. When I worked in television, my schedule was so full it seemed I never got everything done that I desired to do. One Christmas a girl came to my door and said, “I’m going to wrap all your presents for you.” She was being obedient to the Lord and came in double-holstered—with glue guns! When she finished, we had the loveliest packages under our tree! She did a much better job than I could have done. Now honestly, my pride said I should have been doing the wrapping. But I put aside pride and was so thankful for the wonderful way God had blessed us. He sent help when I needed it, enabling me to take care of other responsibilities. No Pressure Don’t have a predetermined mindset about Christmas. Find out what will truly bless your family. Once I asked my son, “What do you really like about Christmas?” He simply said, “I like the smells when things are cooking.” He didn’t care if his room was decorated. So I realized there was no good reason to bother with that. Matthew 6:25, "AMPC," says, “Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or…what you shall put on.” Don’t worry about your Christmas tree, presents, Christmas wardrobe or even your Christmas dinner. “Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?” Isn’t it more important to provide a home of peace and love rather than a nicely decorated house? Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t decorate. I love decorating. But the point is to find out what the Holy Spirit is saying. This year, you may want to try decorating a little differently. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in all you do this season. You can expect the manifest presence of God in your home when you follow His instructions (John 14:21). If something looks fabulous but the Lord isn’t in it, people may ooh and aah, but it will be about you. They may admire your stunning decorations, they may go on and on about what a delicious meal you’ve prepared, and how gorgeous the table looks. And in reality, that’s probably what many of us are looking for. But the truth is, that is pride. 24 : BVOV

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