Christmas Grinches

At Bible Study on Tuesday night, they talked about the "Grinches" in our lives that can rob us from having a peaceful, enjoyable Christmas. I wanted to pass those along because I found myself convicted of allowing those "Grinches" to hurt past Christmas's and other holidays with my family and friends. I am going to pray over the next few weeks that I will not allow these "Grinches" to dampen my Christmas this year.

Satan knows how special Christmas is for Christians and he know our emotional triggers that can cause our time with family and friends to become frustrating and tense. If you recognize a trigger that gets you every Christmas season, I encourage you to give it to God and allow Him to fight the battle for you.

And now, the top 10 Grinches that can Steal Christmas:

• Impatience- Those family members that say and do those little things that drive you crazy, and we allow it to spoil our time with them.
• Selfishness- We have this idea of what we should get for Christmas or what things we should do and are disappointed when those things don't happen as planned.
• Laziness- So often we get caught up in Christmas and do not spend time with God as we should.
• Stress- need I say more
• Ungratefulness- Goes along the lines of being selfish. We are often ungrateful for what God has blessed us with. Christmas should be a time of serving others.
• Resentment- Family dynamics are difficult and we can hold grudges against people when forgiveness is what they need.
• Superficiality- When was the last time you talked to your crazy Aunt Agnes that needs as much attention as we do.
• Loneliness- This is a big Grinch, especially for singles.
• Compromise- Again with family dynamics.
• Forgetfulness- We often get caught up in the social parts of Christmas but fail to give God the glory and honor for sending Jesus to earth to die on the cross for our sins.

I pray that God will protect you from the "Grinches" in your life so that this Christmas season will be one of joy and peace!