Each Jan. 1, we celebrate the start of a new year. Resolutions are often made to do better at something in our lives. People resolve to quit smoking, eat less, drink less, behave better…the list goes on.
Tomorrow starts a new year, according to the Christian calendar. So, Happy New Year!
Sunday begins Advent, the season in which we watch and wait for Christmas. Or rather, the coming of the Messiah. Or, to be even more accurate, the Messiah's second coming.
With the Christian New Year starting, the intent is to focus on Jesus Christ as the center of our lives. We are to focus on the redemption he offers the whole world.
But society's events and expectations have overrun this season of preparation. The season has taken on a completely — and erroneously — different nature.
For the vast majority of people in our nation and world, the season of preparation is all about busyness and rushing around.
In this season there are many arrangements to be made — most of which will have people running from store to store, or hopping from one website to another. There are baked goods to prepare, mailings to send out, parties to plan or attend.
And yet, this is not what was intended for this season. And it is certainly not what we are called to do as Jesus Christ's followers.
In faith, we are to prepare our minds and hearts, not just to celebrate Jesus' earthly life 2,000 years ago — that is, Christmas — but also to celebrate his continuing role in our lives today, and for his promised return at a time of God's choosing.
We are called to prepare our minds and hearts spiritually, because Christmas is the celebration of the birth of God's Son, Immanuel, which means "God with Us."
In all truthfulness, preparing for Christmas is not an either/or proposition — either spiritual or worldly. There is room for both.
Here is my suggestion: Most people know the Bible talks about giving 10 percent of our income to God as an offering. To prepare your heart and mind equally for the Christmas celebration, make a Christian New Year resolution to give God 10 percent of the time you spend on shopping, baking and partying to prayer, worship and reading your Bible.
If you spend two hours a day baking or making gifts (which is 120 minutes), give God 12 minutes of prayer and Bible reading before you retire for the day.
If you spend four hours shopping (240 minutes), give God 24 minutes of prayer and reading your Bible.
This way, you can make a new year resolution to prepare your mind and heart for Christmas' true meaning, and get all your typical Christmas "stuff" done.
And by the way: If you find yourself too tired at the end of the day to give God 10 percent of the time you spent doing other things, you probably need to cut back on the other kinds of preparation or partying.
The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BROADHEAD: Tithe 10 percent of your time