I don’t know when you are reading this, but as I write it, Christmas is less than a week away. That means it’s somewhat obligatory I write a Christmas themed post. I know this because every sermon I’ve listened to for the past month (and I listen to a lot of sermons; call it a job hazard!) have all been around the Christmas story. Therefore, since I am a Christian writer, I apparently need to write about Christmas. But here’s the problem: regular readers of this blog already know all about the Christmas story.
You’ve heard the same messages I have over the years. If we’re honest, it is rare we hear something in a new way this time of year. So instead of focusing on the Christmas story and trying to find some new twist to illuminate a story that cannot possibly be improved, I’m going to ask you a simple question: What will you do with Christmas?
When the season is over and life returns to a more normal and sustainable pace, what will you do with Christmas? When the sermons return to more practical topics and your friends are not as open to the message of Jesus (much less coming to church with you), what will you do with Christmas? You see Christmas is much more than a season. It’s more than a mindset or even an event. Christmas is about the love and character of God. It’s about how much He cares for us and how much He desires for us to relate to Him.
There’s a tendency to use the wonder of Christmas to inject a little more Jesus into our everyday conversations. It’s still a little more socially acceptable to say the name of Jesus during this time of year as opposed to any other. We can and should take advantage of the opportunities the season affords us to share the good news of Christ, but we miss the point if we stop talking about Jesus once the new year rolls around.
Ultimately, what we do with Christmas has little to do with December 25th, and everything to do with how committed we are to the Lordship of Jesus in our lives. If Jesus isn’t the most important thing to us every day, then Christmas day doesn’t mean anything at all. Jesus came to earth to free us from the tyranny of sin. He came to show us how to live life as we were intended, a life glorifying and honoring to God.
So let me ask it again: What will you do with Christmas? Will you keep the wonder of Christ coming to earth on our behalf at the forefront of your thoughts? Will you worship Him as King and submit your life to Him as Lord? Once the season is over, will you continue to talk to your friends about Jesus when the culture says it’s impolite and intolerant?
If Christmas is no more than a season of gift-giving and goodwill to you, then you do not understand why Jesus came to earth as a helpless and vulnerable baby. The most powerful being in the Universe humbled Himself to the point of making Himself totally reliant on the very people He had created. He did this so He could relate to us in an intimate and personal way, and so we could relate to Him the same.
So what will you do with Christmas? Will you use it as a springboard to live for Him and share His love with others throughout the year? Or will it fade like every other Christmas, relegated to being a nice story we tell every twelve months? Don’t let that happen. Burn the meaning and message of Christmas into your heart and live it every day for the rest of your life. Love Him as He loves you. Shine the light of Jesus wherever you are. Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas. And then keep it going…