The days around the Thanksgiving holiday traditionally give cause for counting blessings–they are also good days for rethinking priorities.
Some research suggests that the great American search for prosperity and wealth is giving way to measuring life by other standards. Definitions of what makes life satisfying are changing. Satisfaction by consumption is giving way to the satisfaction of a simpler life. People are questioning whether spending time seeking greater satisfaction in life is really better than putting some aspects of life on autopilot. In a rugged economy, many are learning that money doesn’t necessary lead to happiness, but that aligning family, values that matter, and the enjoyment and experience of life are the ultimate sources of satisfaction. Such thinking redefines what it means to be wealthy–not in terms of money but in terms of family and friends, meaningful activities, traditions, and experiences.
As the Christmas season approaches, one way new definitions of life satisfaction are changing us is in the kind and quantity of gifts we give. More families are limiting gifts, questioning the tendency to go bonkers with gifts (especially for the children), and addressing the selfishness and entitlement that has too often become part of the Christmas season. Is there a way to experience the holidays with attitudes of generosity and selflessness, sharing with the needy and less fortunate both at home and in the mission field? Dare we consider ways we can help our families rethink what it means to share and care?