#ChristmasShopping. Man, what an undertaking! Truth is, I have always enjoyed going out and dealing with the crowds, the hustle and bustle, and doing Christmas shopping. However, I just recently had an experience which tried even my Buddy-the-Elf-level enthusiasm for all things Christmas. I was attempting to buy a particular product – which, until post-Christmas morning, shall remain 
nameless – and of course, the store was out of said product! But, there was another item which was very similar. I mean, it seemed so close. I was ready to just go with it. I looked, compared, evaluated…and almost gave up. But, fortunately, I was informed in no uncertain terms, the two are NOWHERE near similar! (Other than one obvious difference, I’m still not convinced the other item wouldn’t have worked.) So, I dodged a shopping failure!
The whole experience made me think of something Richard just preached. Worship. We’re surrounded by a religious world who looks at various worship “styles†and basically decides one is just as good as another. One style may seem a little old-fashioned or traditional. Another style may appear more contemporary or trendy. So, the assumption is either one will work. They both use the same language, the same concepts. However, Jesus tells us, like my helper in the store, one is not just as good as the other. I’m not talking about old songs versus new songs. Jesus says, in John 4:23-24, God wants worshippers who will worship His way – in spirit and in truth. That means He sets the standard, He sets the parameters of how He wants to be worshipped.
Whether the topic is worship or just living life, we must be careful we’re not “shopping†through God’s Word. He’s given us the “list,†if you will, of what He wants. He wants both lives and worship centered on truth. And, as Jesus also says in John 8:32, the truth will set us free.