Bah Humbug!

Doug Wilson has a blog. It can be found here. Only go to read what is on his blog is you want to learn something-or worse yet...feel convicted. A recent little essay got me grumbling-and that is hard to do these days...what with Christmas and all. In it he writes...

"Deep Kindness
Topic: Exhortation

A new commandment is given to you, that you love one another. This love is not to be understood as a mere sentiment, although it makes all true sentiment possible, and more than possible, lovely.

Love means that we are to treat one another as the voice of God requires, and that we are to do so from the heart. We are not to mime our way through various loving actions, but we are to love one another deeply. And love means that we live as Christians in our households. If we are unloving, disrespectful, or disobedient there, then all our "kindnesses" elsewhere are manifestations of a hypocritical politeness, and are not love at all.

How can you love God, whom you have not seen, when you do not love your neighbor whom you have seen? And how can you love your distant neighbor whom you have not seen, or see occasionally, when you do not love your neighbor, with whom you live?

The watchword therefore is kindness to those with whom you live -- kindness in the kitchen, kindness in the bedroom, kindness in seeking forgiveness, kindness in extending forgiveness, kindness in letting go of anger, kindness in letting go of bitterness and resentment over the anger of another, kindness in honoring and obeying your parents gladly.

Here you are, appearing before the Lord of heaven. Is there any unconfessed household sin that you are clutching? If so, lay it down. God will receive you with the same kindness He requires of you, but you must lay that sin down. "

BA HUMBUG! Right he is-yet again. And it turns out I, even I, need some changing. Don't you just hate that when you read something so wise and pointed-and it seems to be talking about you? Blah. Double Blah. This past week my eyes were opened to some selfishness on my part. I realized the problem. Asked forgiveness. Why rub it in?!?! As if deep regret weren't enough...

Seriously though. The timing is impeccable, it seems to me. Not just given MY present circumstances...but for everyone out there this season. We are so caught up in buying people gifts, making people gifts, wrapping gifts for people, giving people gifts, showing we 'care'...are we remembering to show love to the ones dearest to us? Or are we snapping our childrens' heads off because we are trying to make cookies for the mailman?

I will still keep checking D.W's blog. How about you?