Boy are we righteous!

Over the course of the past several days I've been tossing around some thoughts in my mind. I haven't verbalized them yet, so you're the first to hear of this. (Well, figuratively....I'm sure that SOMEONE has to be the first one to read this post.)

You see, all my friends (and myself, I'm not singling anyone out!) have been spending lots of time in these past few weeks doing service projects. I love that! I love seeing families working together to meet the needs of less fortunate families at Christmastime. I love seeing husbands & wives ringing the bell for the Salvation Army together. I love hearing about children giving of their own things for the sake of another child who doesn't have as much. I enjoy hearing about families who make an effort to make Christmas about something more than "gimme gimme". I applaud those efforts. Please don't misunderstand me, those are fantastic things!

But it's got me to wondering......how much of this do we do for ourselves? I mean, if we really care & want to help the less fortunate, why aren't we doing this year-round? Do all the homeless people magically find homes on December 26th? Do the hungry people who come to soup kitchens during the holidays have food when March rolls around? Do the children whose parents can't afford to buy Christmas gifts have enough to cover their birthday in May? What about all those food banks that we stock up during the holidays? Do they have enough to fill the bellies of the hungry people in July? All the blankets & coats & warm socks sure do help in the winter, but what about shorts & flip flops & fans in August?

Do we do our fill of "good deeds" during the holidays so that we can live the rest of the year without feeling the need to help? To serve? To give? Does it somehow give us permission to be gluttonous, living lives of luxury from January through October?

James 1:27 tells us that "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." Of course, I think that it goes beyond widows & orphans, as well. Who can you serve this coming year?