This is my first attempt at writing a Christian article. Thanks in advance for the feedback.
A Christmas greeting:
It’s that time of year again: Time to get out the decorations, buy a tree and start shopping for presents. Its also the time when many people pick out their annual Christmas cards. According to the Greeting card association, about 1.6 billion cards were sold last Holiday season.
My family's cards usually include a Christian greeting and a picture of our kids. Sometimes we include a picture of the entire family. The cards that I choose for my business are usually a bit more generic.
My Company is fortunate to have an ethnically diverse client base. However, with ethnic diversity comes religious diversity. Over the last few years I’ve taken the non-offensive approach when selecting greeting cards for my business. I’ve chosen generic sentiments such as “seasons greetings” and “Happy Holidays.” I assumed that my Muslim, Jewish and Hindu clients would be offended if I wished them a Merry Christmas. Not to mention my clients who are atheists!
Last Christmas, when I was looking through a Christmas card catalog, Matthew 10:33 suddenly came to mind: "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” Was I being an unfaithful Christian by intentionally selecting non-Christian greetings? Wasn’t this the one time of year that I should be steadfast in my faith? At that moment I decided that this year would be different. This year I would wish all of my Clients a Merry Christmas and suffer the consequences.
I searched through the catalogs and finally found a card that would relate the perfect sentiment. The outside displayed a picture of Santa Claus kneeling in the snow before a large crucifix. The inside had a simple greeting: “May your Christmas be wrapped in the blessings of his love.” This might be career suicide, I thought, but I sent them anyway.
Over the next month, I waited for the fall out. I braced myself for phone calls from angry costumers. Or even worse, maybe the phone would stop ringing. When I spoke to my clients, I listened for a hint of irritation in their voices, but there was nothing. Much to my surprise, there were no repercussions at all. The phone continued to ring. No one was mad and it was actually a very Merry Christmas. In fact, we are having one of our best years in a long time.
As the Christmas season approaches, I hope that you will think of Mathew 10:33. Be bold in your faith and let you Company be a reflection of your beliefs. You might be surprised by the outcome.
A Christmas greeting:
It’s that time of year again: Time to get out the decorations, buy a tree and start shopping for presents. Its also the time when many people pick out their annual Christmas cards. According to the Greeting card association, about 1.6 billion cards were sold last Holiday season.
My family's cards usually include a Christian greeting and a picture of our kids. Sometimes we include a picture of the entire family. The cards that I choose for my business are usually a bit more generic.
My Company is fortunate to have an ethnically diverse client base. However, with ethnic diversity comes religious diversity. Over the last few years I’ve taken the non-offensive approach when selecting greeting cards for my business. I’ve chosen generic sentiments such as “seasons greetings” and “Happy Holidays.” I assumed that my Muslim, Jewish and Hindu clients would be offended if I wished them a Merry Christmas. Not to mention my clients who are atheists!
Last Christmas, when I was looking through a Christmas card catalog, Matthew 10:33 suddenly came to mind: "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” Was I being an unfaithful Christian by intentionally selecting non-Christian greetings? Wasn’t this the one time of year that I should be steadfast in my faith? At that moment I decided that this year would be different. This year I would wish all of my Clients a Merry Christmas and suffer the consequences.
I searched through the catalogs and finally found a card that would relate the perfect sentiment. The outside displayed a picture of Santa Claus kneeling in the snow before a large crucifix. The inside had a simple greeting: “May your Christmas be wrapped in the blessings of his love.” This might be career suicide, I thought, but I sent them anyway.
Over the next month, I waited for the fall out. I braced myself for phone calls from angry costumers. Or even worse, maybe the phone would stop ringing. When I spoke to my clients, I listened for a hint of irritation in their voices, but there was nothing. Much to my surprise, there were no repercussions at all. The phone continued to ring. No one was mad and it was actually a very Merry Christmas. In fact, we are having one of our best years in a long time.
As the Christmas season approaches, I hope that you will think of Mathew 10:33. Be bold in your faith and let you Company be a reflection of your beliefs. You might be surprised by the outcome.
