“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law...” 
– Galatians 4:4


There’s shopping, and then there’s Christmas shopping. Everything gets ramped up: the decorations, the number of workers, the displays, and, of course, the sales. When you walk through any store at Christmas, everyone is pulling at you to get your attention and get you to buy something. It’s a constant sensory overload of people wanting things from you. It’s a lot like being a teenager nowadays.


There are always things competing for your attention: good things, bad things, and things that don't even matter. Each one is pulling, wanting you to pay attention to what it has to say. Friends, enemies, frenemies, teachers, coaches, band directors, dance teachers, grades, clubs, and everything in between pulls for your attention and your time. It’s exhausting. You live a life today where more is wanted from you than any other generation before you. You have so many more opportunities and distractions, and because of that, you have to learn how to handle your time differently.


Read Galatians 4:4 and think about the concept of time. God's timing is perfect. He knew the exact time to send Jesus into the world. He wasn't a moment too early or a second too late. We don't have God's sense of time. For us, time is fleeting. We're always fighting for more, especially this time of year.


Although there are tons of things wanting your attention, you only have so much time that you can give them. There are only so many hours in a day. So spend your time well. Only spend it on things that really matter and make sense in your life. Remember, not everything that wants your attention is something that you should give it to.



QUESTIONS:


What takes up the most of your time during the Christmas season?


When you want to escape, what do you spend your time doing? Do you think that's a worthwhile use of your time?