All I Want for Christmas: Filling the Void of Loneliness

"It's that time of year, when the world falls in love; Every song you hear seems to say, Merry Christmas! May your New Year dreams come true." (The Christmas Waltz) 

Christmas is in the air. You can hear the holiday classics blaring in every department store. The month of December is full of Christmas parties, church cantatas, neighborhood caroling and exchange gifts with those you love. 

It certainly seems like the "time of year when the world falls in love" and everyone appears to be...happier. But the glaring truth for those who deal with loneliness is, it seems to be that time of year when the world has a significant other except you. 

Is Social Media Destroying our Social Skills?

The realm of social media and electronic interaction is the new norm in the world of communication. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google + and texting are the preferred forms of interaction for Milliennials. 

In a research study by Lookout, researchers found that nearly 60% said they don't go an hour without checking their phone. Younger folks were the most addicted: 63% of women and 73% of men ages 18-34 say they don't go an hour without checking their phones. 

“Americans no longer talk to each other, they entertain each other. They do not exchange ideas, they exchange images. They do not argue with propositions; they argue with good looks, celebrities and commercials.”  (Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business)

A Christian Perspective on #BlackFriday Shopping

“...I could not help but think that somewhere along the way we had missed what was radical about our faith and replaced it with what is comfortable.” (David Platt, Radical)

Black Friday. The day Americans find the best deals at the lowest prices. It's the time of year everyone camps out in front of Best Buy and eagerly stampedes Wal-Mart's doors at midnight. I know for me personally I enjoy making my Christmas shopping list and taking part in the holiday savings. Year after year I've done this without a thought about how I should treat Black Friday as a Christian...until last week. Nagging at the door of my heart there is this notion that something is missing in our treatment of consumerism in America.

Here are some radical questions for you to ponder: Does mainstream Christianity treat Black Friday from a cultural perspective or a Biblical perspective? Is the American dream for more dictating our "needs vs. wants"? How should the Christian treat Black Friday shopping?

Is There Anything WRONG with Black Friday?
I've brought up these questions for discussion and I've discovered something; most people become very defensive! I never said that I believe Black Friday shopping is wrong nor have I said that spending money, buying gifts and having fun staying up all night in front of your favorite store is a sin. In fact, if you are shopping in the Tampa area on Friday you may run into me!

But keep this in mind, when Jesus called others to follow Him it was radical, it was different and it required giving up everything. "'If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' But when the young man heard this, he went sadly away because he had many possessions." (Matthew 19:21-22)

“It is a constant battle to resist the temptation to have more luxuries, to acquire more stuff, and to live more comfortably.” (David Platt, Radical)


We don't need the latest iPhone, the biggest flatscreen TV, the newest car on the market or the biggest house on the block. What we need is a radically changed life that draws others to know our Jesus. The radicalness of the God we serve requires us to live a life through the perspective lens of eternity. With this in mind I want you to ponder these "what if" questions.

In Comparison to Black Friday, What if...

1. We had the same urgency for a lost soul as we do a "good deal"?
2. We had the same investment of time, energy and money in changing this world for eternity?
3. We had the same attitude to give to church as we spend at the stores on Friday? 
4. We had the same excitement for discipling others as we do shopping with our friends?
5. We had the perspective that our bank account was actually God's personal account?

We are called to be set apart for the Kingdom and to have Christ's mindset as our guide: "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice -- the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is." (Romans 12:1-2)

You see, we shouldn't be questioning what is wrong with Black Friday but rather testing our priorities and perspectives on why we do what we do and whether it is making a lasting difference. If Christ were to come back the Saturday after Thanksgiving, how would this change our perspective on Friday? 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! Please comment below or you are welcome to contact me directly. You can either email me or leave me a voicemail or text my google number: 646-504-626

The Directionally Challenged Life: Answering the Question "Why In The World Am I Here?"

“The really wonderful moments of joy in this world are not the moments of self-satisfaction, but self-forgetfulness. Standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon and contemplating your own greatness is pathological. At such moments we are made for a magnificent joy that comes from outside ourselves.” (John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life)

I'm not going to lie. I like being being needed. There is a great satisfaction in feeling important and significant in this life. I love people and I want people to love me back. I like the popular feeling when I walk into a room and people crowd around me. Then there is the natural craving to having a man attracted to me and pursuing my heart. Ironically thought, I've come to realize that those things do not satisfy nor have I discovered my purpose in life fulfilled in the empty pursuit of "self".

What do you do when life doesn't make sense? Where is God in these moments and what is He trying to tell us? As we come to the end of our series on The Lord's Prayer I want you to ponder this statement, LIFE ISN'T ABOUT YOU.