Who else will revolutionize Christmas?


Christmastime is here! Happiness and cheer? Fun for all ... even us adults? A day *our children* call their favorite time of year. Would you personally say that it's your favorite time of year? Would you say that it's the average person's favorite? The majority, of course, would say yes. Our own family would say it's our favorite. However, have you seen the look on peoples' faces as they're out and about, preparing for Christmas? Doesn't look like they're having too much fun. Have you ever been on the roads when it's crunchtime and Christmas is the following day? Watch out! How about when you're interacting with others and having small talk, have you ever heard the following words, with a hint of stress behind them?: "It's almost here and I haven't even started (shopping)." ... have you said those words? This author has. And what about Christmas at its very worst, when a security guard is tragically trampled to death at a Walmart on a day people call "Black Friday?"

Folks, what are we really celebrating? Are we meant to live this way at any point in the year, with such stress? Is it about racking up credit card debt and fulfilling our to-do lists? What have we made of this holiday? I mean seriously. For the most part, Christmas these days has nothing to do with the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yes, we sing songs about Him ... sometimes, even songs that are full of biblical truth, but we are not really celebrating Him. Let's just be straightforward about it. Christ-mas has become Consumer-mas, substituting consumption for Christ. The Advent, Jesus' coming, the true and living God manifesting Himself in the flesh, the miracle of the incarnation, bringing glory to the newborn King, use to be the center of celebrating this holiday in a developed Christian tradition. (The pagan celebration of December 25th before the developed tradition is another subject entirely.) More and more, however, that is not the case.

Here is a definition of Christmas, found in the American Heritage New Dictionary (Even the secular sources agree.):

Christmas - A festival commemorating the birth of Jesus, traditionally celebrated on December 25 by most Western Christian churches. Although dating to probably as early as a.d. 200, the feast of Christmas did not become widespread until the Middle Ages. Today, Christmas is largely secularized and dominated by gifts, decorated trees, and a jolly Santa Claus. (The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition)

Why are these things being shared? Because there needs to be a change in perspective in our culture, even in the Church. SouthValley Baptist, we are Christians, followers of the One this holiday is supposedly about. Each one of us can play a part in bringing about some change. How do we bring it? It's simple, by doing what the Bible says. In the power that God has given us through His Spirit, we can make godly choices in our lives. As Christians, our focus can always be upon Jesus Christ this holiday and every single day. When He is our sole focus, our response towards fellow believers and unbelievers can do something we were created for, and that is bring glory to God. Who else will revolutionize Christmas? We can show the world what Christmas is and what it isn't.

Christmas is a day that celebrates the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Christmas is not a day that celebrates what we can get out of a day. Christmas is one day of the year that we celebrate how God showed His everlasting love to mankind, by sending His only begotten Son into the world, but His love is shown all throughout the year. Christmas is not one day above another, in which His love is shown more than any other day. Christmas is about why the Son of God came into the world, and that brings us to the Gospel: Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and three days later He rose again. Christmas is not just about the manger scene. Christmas is about an Eternal God with an eternal plan, and how He offers mankind the gift of eternal life. Christmas is not about the stressful hustle and bustle of the here and now or about giving into the culture's hunger for consumerism. Christmas is about "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Christmas is not about what we have made it into, a heavy weight to bear.

We can truly revolutionize Christmas by pointing people back to their Creator, the One who made a grand appearance in history, the Lord Jesus Christ. We can revolutionize Christmas by obeying the command of loving our neighbors as we love ourselves *every* day of the year ... not just on a particular holiday. With the Church living these things out, there would be a change in perspective in our culture. As the song says, "Oh that we could always see such spirit through the year!" Let's show the world who Jesus is.


Merry Christmas!

One Clay Soldier among many