“What is this?” Amelia asked, pointing to something at the bottom of a page full of items in the Christmas catalog. “I’m not sure, sweetheart,” I responded from the other side of the kitchen island. “It’s too small for me to see from here.” Then to her mom walking in from the other room she continued, “What is this? I want it.” Marketing strategies are largely unchanged from during my childhood five decades ago. There are just so many more options. Where there were dolls and stuffed animals, tea sets and play kitchens, big wheels, bikes, Little Golden books and building blocks available to my generation, the childrens market of today is saturated with audiobooks, movies and video games, interactive toys that lead to sedentary lifestyles where someone else does the imagining for you. Christmas has become prime season for vendors worldwide to target sell to every audience but especially to children. The greatest Gift has been eclipsed by lesser things until the Giver of every good and perfect gift is largely ignored during the season set aside to celebrate His advent.
When Amazon’s Christmas Wish Book was delivered, I was pleasantly surprised by the old school interactive content. Stories, puzzles and games, even a color by number were sprinkled throughout its pages. The prompts on every other page to have Alexa or some other version of automated home software read a story aloud or give some other information should not have been all that surprising but it points to just how much of everyday life we allow technology to influence. As parents and grandparents, we must remember that these voices are not neutral. The automated content is programmed by real people and is informed by all available content on the World Wide Web. Stewarding the minds and hearts of the next generation cannot be outsourced. As it was in Bible times, so it remains. Each generation is tasked with passing on the knowledge of God to the next so that each generation should set its hope anew on God.
“We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. so the next generation might know them— even the children not yet born— and they in turn will teach their own children.
So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.
Then they will not be like their ancestors— stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.”
Psalms 78:4, 6-8 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.78.7.NLT
Paul informs the how.
“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.
There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.
God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.
The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.
He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy.
He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit.
Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.
It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts.
He alone decides which gift each person should have.”
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1co.12.4-10.NLT
“So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.
But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.”
1 Corinthians 12:31 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1co.12.31.NLT
What follows is Paul’s love chapter, the one commonly used in weddings where love is depicted as patient and kind, not jealous, boastful or self-seeking. These words are spoken to husbands and wives as a Holy challenge but in truth, no one can live up to these standards apart from Christ because God is love. Paul encourages believers to put away childish thinking and to recognize that what can be known in this life is partial and incomplete. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.
“Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.
Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.
They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.
You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully.
Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!
Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.
As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!”
Psalms 119:1-7 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.119.2.NLT
“BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the way [of the revealed will of God], who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord (the whole of God’s revealed will).
Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart.
Yes, they do no unrighteousness [no willful wandering from His precepts]; they walk in His ways. [I John 3:9; 5:18.]
You have commanded us to keep Your precepts, that we should observe them diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed and established to observe Your statutes [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]!
Then shall I not be put to shame [by failing to inherit Your promises] when I have respect to all Your commandments.”
Psalm 119:1-6 AMPC
https://bible.com/bible/8/psa.119.6.AMPC
“If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.
But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying.
For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom.
Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.
For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure.
It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.
It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds.
It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.
And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”
James 3:13-18 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jas.3.13-18.NLT
Anyone who has ever raised children know they mimic us. They become what we say and do routinely. Though we tell them one thing, instructing them in the way we want them to go, they emulate us. The sobering truth is that we are their first glimpse of Jesus. Until they come to know Him for themselves through God’s perfect Word, our relationship to our children, the biological ones and the spiritual ones, is the way they will relate to God. Everything we say or do every moment of every day teaches. We are Christ’s ambassadors.
“See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!
But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.
Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears.
But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.
And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.
And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him.
Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin.
But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.
Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.
But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning.
But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.
Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them.
So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.
So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil.
Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”
1 John 3:1-3, 5-10 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1jn.3.1-10.NLT
“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.
So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.
If your gift is serving others, serve them well.
If you are a teacher, teach well.
If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.
If it is giving, give generously.
If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.
And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.”
Romans 12:6-8, 11 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.12.6-11.NLT
“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts.
Use them well to serve one another.
Do you have the gift of speaking?
Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you.
Do you have the gift of helping others?
Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.
Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.
All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.”
1 Peter 4:10-11 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1pe.4.10-11.NLT
Christian, you are influencing the world for Christ and it begins with the next generation. Your obedience to your Heavenly Father matters. Your joy in the Lord communicates volumes to a discontented world. We are to be envied. We have the greatest gift ever given and He lives in us.
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.
And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””
Matthew 28:19-20 NLT
