Recently, the Leverings got all bundled up and went to see some Christmas lights. As we ventured from display to display, we observed that there are clearly three types of Christmas light attitudes:
- Scrooge: These homes are totally void of any Christmas festivity. Not even a Festivus pole. They are the homes with no lights, no decoration and no joy.
- Tiny Tim: These are the homes where the owners put up some lights, but honestly, they are not going to kill themselves and spend a lot of extra time and dollars going nuts over it. They’ve resigned to average. They put up some lights, but nothing special.
- Clark W. Griswold: These folks start setting up in August. The goal is to be able to see their home from space. If they’re going to do it, they’re going to do it big. We’re talking about animatronic characters, private radio frequencies with Christmas music coordinated with computer-synchronized displays. If you have more than one Griswold in your neighborhood, they will make it a contest and burn your retinas trying to win. They win prizes every year and are judged heavily by their neighbors. But, strangers will go out of their way to drive by and see the results of their passion and love.
I’m not sure which type you are. I’m more of a Tiny Tim myself. (I can hear your internal mockery!) What you’re really seeing is a choice of three very different attitudes toward their light displays.
I think the same is true of Christians. You look at any church and you’ll see the same types. The Scrooges, who have zero joy. They may know God’s word, but they do not let it shine in them. The Tiny Tims, who will let their lights shine, but only if they can do so comfortably without any real sacrifice. You won’t see anything flashy or awe-inspiring. And the Clark W. Griswolds, who let their light shine big and bright all the time. Sometimes you wonder where on earth they get their energy, joy, faith, and passion. Whatever they are, the same is true: Each of them chose to be that way.
And as we head into 2017, I hope you’ll choose to let your light shine brightly. I’m not talking about Christmas displays either. Let Jesus be reflected in everything you do. May His light shine brightly in you!