Saturday 14th December

"​Bless"

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash


“He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud
in their inmost thoughts.
Luke 1v51-52 

Have you every felt out of your depth?  Been in that place where you look around and wonder why am I hear? How can I compete with that/them?


In our competitive and commercial world that we now inhabit there seems to be a real sense of one-up-manship.  Let me give you an example.


A number of years ago John Lewis realised an advert that got everyone talking - it seemed to sum up the Christmas feeling and everyone was in awe of this advert.  It then seemed to me that next year everyone was doing it - Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Aldi, you name it everyone was trying to have the best Christmas advert on telly.


Now don’t get me wrong - I actually do love the Christmas adverts - especially those that are done well and evoke something within us…but it just seems that we are all getting a little bit carried away.


Iceland’s entry in the 2018 Christmas advert race, actually got banned.  It was banned because it was deemed too political because it was do with the destruction of rainforests and the loss of so many Orangutan’s in the production of Palm Oil which Iceland have now banned from all its products.  Now obviously part of their motivation was to get you to buy their more ethical and environmentally sourced products but it was refreshing to see a company thinking about more than themselves.


If you have not seen it - google it!


Christmas should  be about thinking of others first, being humble and seeking to bless others rather than ourselves.  After all isn’t that what Jesus did, when He humbled Himself and came to earth as a tiny baby?  Isn’t that what Jesus taught us as he preached the Good News, and isn’t that what his sacrificial death showed us?


So today, why don’t you see who you can bless?

Blessings

Jon