A Black Friday Like No Other

“Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:30-31, NIV).

Today is what we call Black Friday. It is a day when I avoid the shopping centers. I have seen some of the worst behavior as people fight about whether they were first to find an item or not. Now not all people who shop on Black Friday are like this! They don't all push and shove and demand. But Black Friday is about “things”, and getting the best price. Although not always, Black Friday can end up being about the gift that we have “won” for someone else. Maybe we have had an opportunity to allow another shopper to have what we have found to buy, but have pursued our prize anyway. We have achieved our goal, fought the battle, faced the onslaught, and won the prize at the best price! Oh my! The truth is any day in our lives can be like this! It can be about what we can win and what we can achieve, and end up not being about others who are brought into our path. Whether we want to admit it or not, we have to be careful not to allow any day or any thought or anything to make us a part of the “me” generation.

 

What is your life saying? What is my life saying? Is it about me or about others? I don't want to be a part of the “me” generation. I want my heart to be broken for others. I want my life to make a difference. Years ago I saw a bumper sticker that read, "Is your life a message or a mess?" It asked me if I had an anchored purpose or if I was drifting around with no focused reason for my existence. I would like to challenge each of us to examine our lives, our moments, our thoughts, and our actions. Is Jesus the reason for our existence? If He is our first love, we need to live it. James was explicit when he penned that "faith without works in dead". Likewise, James let us know that works without faith has little meaning. If we love Jesus, we should not be a “me” generation. We should be on the front lines for Jesus Christ―living a life that shares the greatest love rendered on one Black Friday in Jerusalem. It was the Black Friday when the Son of God took all the selfishness of my life to the cross. And three days later, it would no longer be about me. It would be about loving as He loved me.

 

So where are you now? Where am I? Jesus knows where we are. Are we ready to be truthful with Him? Are we really ready to examine our hearts? Are we ready to be a message for Him instead of a mess with no purpose? Let's be real with Him so we can be real with others. Today's Black Friday can be like no other! We can let someone else win the best prize at the best price. We can venture out―not to get the best price for ourselves, but to give the best prize to someone else. Have a blessed Black Friday!