Justice: This Christmas, why not simplify, and focus on what Jesus wants us to do?

It’s easy to get caught up in the hubbub of Christmas and forget that Jesus teaches compassion, caring and helping others, without regard to ourselves.

We are supposed to be enjoying each other and God’s gifts, not buying things and making more work for retail employees, who want to be home with their families. Our problem is that we get too tired from all the money we are chasing when we should be appreciating people; they are the real treasures. What we consistently take for granted, we lose.

At Christmas, and all year long, we should give thanks to God for what we have — and show others appreciation for what they do for us, even if it’s just giving us a hug, smiling and making our day less stressful.

We could start with these four steps: Keep your family in the black by not spending money on gifts but making your own, tailored to each recipient; spend time doing what matters the most: caring for other humans; be grateful; eat good, homemade food, using the simplest ingredients possible.

If we make these a habit and develop a habit of sharing, there will be less garbage and fuel emissions and more good, wholesome, clean food, and fewer people in the stores having to put up with people who are irritable and mean because they are tired from shopping, and hungry.

Why not get together and do some things to help each other? I want to show the love of Christ to others and tell them by my actions “You can,” because I have. As author Jim Rohn (and my grandma) said: “If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”

This story was originally published December 23, 2015 at 2:48 PM.