Every year there is the debate about the real reason for Christmas. The Church does all that it can to remind us that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus. Yet, nothing seems to have an effect.
We tell ourselves that this year, things will be different. No more going into debt to buy gifts for everyone on our list. But soon enough we are standing in a long line with credit card in hand, waiting for the slowest cashier to ever operate a register, to check us out. We are frustrated because the item that would have been the perfect gift for a hard to please relative is not available. We find ourselves running out of time, with too many parties to attend. And don’t even mention the activities the church has planned.
How often do we hear someone speak of Christmas with dread and even find ourselves in agreement? Think of it, believers in Christ, people who claim to love Him, looking to the celebration of His birth with dread! I just celebrated my birthday and I have to be honest, the older I get, the more I dread that day! But I am grateful that my family and friends still celebrate my birthday. They do so not because I am getting older, although there are some who find great pleasure in that, but because they are glad that I was born! Shouldn’t we, as believers, be enthusiastic about Jesus’ birth? After all, we would be lost in our sin without His birth.
Christmas is supposed to be a celebration! When believers reflect on the birth of Jesus, it is supposed to bring joy. And if you don’t think Christ’s birth should be celebrated then why did God Himself make a big deal about it? Shepherds saw the skies explode as Angels rejoiced that Jesus was born. They were told to leave their flocks and find the baby and then they went to tell everything that they saw. Foreign dignitaries traveled a great distance to bring gifts. So it is expected that Christmas should be a time of rejoicing.
Everyone reading this probably would agree that Christmas should be celebrated, but in your heart are you really anticipating the holidays with good thoughts? And consider the power of Jesus’ birth. 2,000 years later traffic is backed up entering the mall. The economy grows; some retailers do a majority of their business during the Christmas season. Families travel great distances to be home. Cities, towns, houses, churches are all decorated with lights, pine, and ornaments. Children can hardly sleep Christmas Eve. Churches are filled, often seeing their highest attendance during the holidays. They may not acknowledge it, they may not even know why they are doing these things, and may not care. But whether they know it or not the world celebrates a birth that took place 2,000 years ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment