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What About Christmas?
The holiday season is a special time of year for most of us in this country. I have many fond memories of joyous times with family and friends around the dinner table and around the Christmas tree. We spend countless hours preparing for that one day out of the year wondering what to buy for loved ones and wondering what they will give us. Retailers obviously take advantage of the season by flooding us with advertisements shortly after Halloween. Every year we ask and are asked by family what we need for Christmas this year. Several years ago, I started to realize it is getting harder to answer that question. After all, as long as God is first in my life, and I have my health and family, what else do I ask for? Do I really need new things, or do I really want them?
Jesus said our heavenly Father knows our needs and will provide them, just as He provides food and shelter for the birds. Since we are the most important part of His creation, how much more will He provide for us (Matthew 6:25-34). Perhaps the next time I am faced with the question of what I need for Christmas, I should reply, “Not a thing! Our needs have already been met!”
I do love the spirit of giving. It always seems to increase around this time of year. After all, it is what people enjoy the most about Christmas. I believe most people forget the greatest example of giving. God sent His only Son to die for our sins. This took a depth of love I can only hope to one day understand. Although, I will enjoy buying gifts for the ones I love, I realize the greatest gift I could give to them is Jesus Christ. Teaching them about the good news is what Jesus wants me to do (Matthew 28:9-10). I should be more excited about that gift than I am about the new sweater or dishes I found for one of my family members or friend.
The Christmas season can provide a marvelous opportunity to teach someone how to become a Christian. However, the good news is not just about His birth. It is about His death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:4). After all, if He had not shed His blood, we would still be in our sins (Romans 6:5-11; Hebrews 8:9,10).
There is a popular phrase uttered during the Christmas holidays: “Jesus is the reason for the season.” It would be better to say, “Jesus is our risen Savior and reigns forever, not just for a season.”
