Keeping Christ in Christmas- Day 3-The Attitude of Christ

Christmas is the time of year when people come out in droves. It seems getting around from one destination to the next can become a huge dilemma. Long lines, slow workers,traffic jams....it all can make a person's attitude, should I say it?....... 'testy.' It's easy to let the craziness and busyness inside and outside a store rub off on how you respond to people. Just this week I was at ToysRUs and saw a lady in the line come up and yell at one of the workers behind the counter about how long it took them to answer her question. She said, "I've been waiting for like ten minutes and you people need to take care of what I asked for." She looked frazzled. Both her babies were crying. Actually, they were both screaming.....loud. At first I thought, "I can't believe she was so rude to the workers." Then, as I watched her push her buggy full of two babies screaming back to the checkout counter, I realized that could have easily have been me. It could have been my attitude that was pushed to the brink. But it wasn't. I was standing there waiting in line patiently, not in a hurry, and my husband and son were at home. Then, I thought, "she is frazzled. she is frustrated. she is furious." Why does Christmas sometimes bring out the worst in us? The items are just toys that will break, get lost and become forgotten. Why do we let ourselves become frazzled during the Christmas season over petty things. 

Christmas is more than that.

Philippians 2:5-6 says, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant...."

Earlier that afternoon in ToysRUs, I too had asked for help. No one came. I waited a few minutes and figured they were busy. I decided to go up front and pay for my purchases and wait to ask a question while at the checkout. My questions were answered. Problem solved. No screaming, no sighing, no yelling. It hit me that God was pleased at how I responded. While we are out shopping, eating, and enjoying friends, our attitude matters and people are watching. The way we can bless and minister to those who are working in the retail and restaurants is to be kind, not rude. To share the light of Christ in our hearts when we say "hello" and "thank you" or "have a nice evening." This too is how we keep Christ in Christmas....by keeping the attitude of Christ.