December 2010
Dear Friends,
Merry Christmas! Christmas is a holiday generally celebrated on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus. However, in our culture and in many places around the world it has become a bigger picture of commercialism with gifts, Christmas cards, parties, family gatherings, decorations, Santa Claus, music and food. While all the excitement of the holiday can be fun, often it brings stress and anxiety to those without financial resources and an unrealistic expectation of what is required. Many find themselves battling loneliness and depression.
To be honest, every year, the thought of putting up a Christmas tree and pulling out all the decorations just seems more and more pointless. Sure, traditions are great to have with our kids. They look forward to the lights, smells and sounds of Christmas. But if we skipped a year, should we view that as wrong or traumatic? Have we lost the true meaning in all the cultural expectations?
Consider Christmases past in your own life… what do you remember? Do you think of toys you received as a kid, looking through a pile of Christmas cards, singing carols, making sugar cookies, looking at Christmas lights? What are our memories of Jesus? My parents would read the Christmas story before we could open presents. I doubt I heard much of that with all the toys waiting to be opened. I do remember on Christmas Eve my cousins and I would dress up and re-enact the Christmas story to our extended family. I remember the fragile manager scene that had its place on the mantle above our fireplace. I also recall wrapping gifts for the elderly and caroling at the nursing home. In more recent years, I have enjoyed a Christmas Eve candlelight service and the sounds of Christ followers worshipping the King. My kids enjoy making a Happy Birthday Jesus cake.
What would Jesus want us to do to celebrate His birth? For many of us, the focus has become the gifts and not the Giver. Should a holiday to celebrate Jesus be self-serving, child focused and debt-inducing? Take a few moments to read Luke 2:1-20 and Matthew 1:18-2:12. A virgin (yes, a virgin) had a baby in a stable, wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manager as there was no room in the inn. The baby’s name was Immanuel meaning “God with us.”
Then an angel appeared to some shepherds that were out in some fields close by and they were terrified. But the angel said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Then a group of angels appeared praising God singing “GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST AND ON EARTH PEACE TO MEN ON WHOM HIS FAVOR RESTS.” Can you imagine how those shepherds felt?? They decided to go to find this Christ the angel had told them about and they found Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. Those shepherds returned praising God and spreading the word.
Later Wise Men followed a star that led them to Jesus. When they found him, they bowed down and worshipped him and gave him gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. This was the long awaited, long prophesied Savior of the world. They brought Jesus gifts, they didn’t give themselves gifts.
So where does that leave us, here at this month of the year we call Christmas? What do we have to give Jesus? How will we celebrate HIM this Christmas? We can give him ourselves. We can sit silently and listen for His voice. We can sing praises and worship Him. We can talk to Him and thank Him for who He is and the gift He is to us. We can tell people about Him instead of hoarding Him for ourselves. We can love people because He loves us. We can surrender our lives to Him. We can live for Him and not for ourselves. We can teach our children truth. We can trust Him for our needs. We can be content with what we have. We can read His Word. We can tell of His mighty deeds. We can marvel at His creation. We can bow down and worship HIM.
Are you worried about having a gift for your child for Christmas? Are you sad because you don’t have the money for a Christmas tree? Are you disappointed because you cannot mail Christmas cards to your friends? Are you wondering why you cannot host a party? Friend, in the big picture of eternity, I do not believe the stuff matters. If we have a relationship with Jesus, we have what we need. If we can teach our kids to trust in Jesus they will possess the richest gift. If we can share God’s love with a hurting person then our time here will have mattered.
Consider gently used gifts for your kids this Christmas. I firmly believe that if we all shared what we had then my plenty would meet your need and your plenty would meet mine… and on and on it would go. My kids will be receiving gifts thanks to the hand-me-downs of four families we know. We will not be purchasing any gifts for our kids this Christmas and you do not have to either. Trade what you have with friends and in the end you will all have what you need. Have a party and ask your friends to bring the food they have and you contribute the food you have and celebrate how God has provided enough. We never remember what we ate, just the time we spend with the people we love.
Do you discard the Christmas cards you receive after the holidays? Homemade cards and gifts are just as special and friends and family may actually hold on to those after the season passes. Gather some friends and a bunch of kids and go caroling anywhere. You will bring joy to the elderly and to the lonely while worshipping the Lord together. Enjoy the lights around town without having to spend money to have them at your own home.
Let’s make Christmas different this year. Celebrate Jesus – what the holiday represents. Jesus came as a baby, lived a perfect life and died on a cross for our sins. If anyone will confess with their mouth Jesus is Lord and believes in their heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead then they will be saved. God’s gift to us came as a baby. We have so much to celebrate! May this be your best Christmas yet!!
Much love,
Hebrews 13:16 “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”