As the holiday season is approaching you may find yourself getting bombarded with Christmas preparations. Thankfully, when time is of the essence, there is a McDonalds every other block and the malls are opened late. The hustle and bustle of the weeks prior to Christmas have so many drained, cranky, and yet fueled for the approaching holiday. Between the lights, finding the Christmas tree, buying the gifts, planning the meals or vacation, how about taking a minute to put everything back into perspective? Have you gotten so wrapped up in the commercialism of the season that you’ve lost sight of what Christmas is really to be about?
What do you suppose Jesus’ thoughts might be on the way Christians celebrate Christmas? The twenty-fifth of December is a day set apart yearly worldwide to recognize the birth of our Savior. The glory of our King is subtly proclaimed throughout the secular world. At a time when so many should be rejoicing and using this opportunity to share Christ with those who are more open to it, they find themselves wrapped up stress and fear, too often regarding money and family.
This is so contrary to what Christ came here to accomplish. It’s fine to be a blessing to others—that’s what Christ is. It’s fine to fellowship with family and friends this time of year—Christ was in fellowship as well. I don’t believe Jesus wants to see us so wrapped up in commercialism; rather we should be giving honor to Him, our Prince of Peace, in whom we’re to cast all our cares upon. We’re to do this everyday, but perhaps this time of the year should be our wake-up call. This might be the time of year when you can be “Jesus” to someone who is open to the reason behind Christmas.
Some other ways to put Christ back into Christmas:
- Start a new family tradition that involves the story of Christ and brings emphasis on your gathering.
- Make sure to share with your children the reason for Christmas celebration.
- Avoid certain financial stresses if you can help it. Don’t go overboard with gifts. Make things like bread or candy, or gift baskets containing lesser expensive yet thoughtful items.
- Skip the outdoor lights and think about something different like a nativity scene or a cross made of holiday foliage.
- Bake cookies or bread for your neighbor and send them over with a Christmas card with mention of the love of Christ.
When including Jesus into your celebration, I pray you will feel the true blessing that this time of the year is to be.