What Christmas Is Really All About
I love Christmastime!
Christmas is traditionally a time for gift giving, a time for being with the family, a time for reflection on the last year and a welcoming of the New Year. He makes all things new.
Unfortunately, over the years things have changed. Christmas has become a time of stress. A time for keeping the corporations happy and the people in debt up to their eyeballs. Baby Jesus has been kidnapped from the manger and we wonder why the crime and suicide rates go up this time of year.
The cheerful "Merry Christmas" of yesteryear has been replaced by the politically correct "Happy Holidays!" So, in the minds of many people we celebrate "holidays" not the coming of God's Christ.
I'm all for sharing the holiday with other folks but let's not get carried away. It should never get to the point where someone gets offended at a "Merry Christmas." After all Jesus Christ IS the center of the celebration.
I know that Christ not at the center of the celebration of some, or that he isn't even considered to be the reason. That's their personal issue. However, there are some folk who get downright indignant at the mention of the Name of Jesus even at this time of year. That's pretty wacky too considering the holiday is named after Christ. They need to get over it.
On the flip however, the Christians should not get offended at hearing a "Happy Holidays" "Happy Chanukah "or even "Happy Winter Solstice." C'mon people, if they don't know who Jesus is or they don't believe, why would you expect them to say Merry Christmas?
It sometimes bothers me that the event that made it possible for me to have a blessed and abundant life has become so commercialized and watered down.
God offers us a life filled with love, forgiveness and peace that we could never have imagined, yet it is being hidden from the view of others by decorations, wrapping paper, parties and political correctness. But see, that's how the devil works.
The enemy that would have us stress out, end our own lives, live in misery and regret, hate our neighbors and harbor un-forgiveness all the days of our lives is into Christmas too, but he has another agenda. His agenda is to keep us focused on everything BUT Jesus and the love, forgiveness and hope that emanates from Him.
Focus on the lack of money, focus on your family problems, focus on what you don't have, focus on the hopelessness in the world around you, believe that God does not care for you much less loves you. Believe the lies he tells you and you end up condemning your own self to a life of pain, despair, and meaninglessness. There is a better way.
I believe it's worth celebrating that Jesus came to earth—His birth signaled the greatest hope for all humanity. Jesus lived out a perfect life before God that we could never live. He showed how one could genuinely love everyone, respect his neighbor, heal the broken hearted, encourage the hopeless, forgive his enemies and yet be hated and misunderstood and cut off. That's our God.
He came as a baby, but He did not stay a baby. He grew up and became a man. A man who willingly gave up His life for us upon a cross. He is the One who completely paid the penalty that our sins deserve.
Love demonstrated from the cradle to the Cross and beyond.
"God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
He rose from the grave proving that He is Who He claimed to be. We are now set free and can live above this world's mess. Our sins are fully paid for. That is liberation in the truest, most revolutionary sense of the word.
Have fun; enjoy the celebrations that the season brings, but keep things in perspective.
Christmas is about Jesus. It is about Jesus and the eternal life with God He offers us. That is what those who truly embrace the Christ of Christmas believe.
We don't qualify. But He has qualified us. That is why we celebrate.
Thank you for reading,
HN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKk9rv2hU...Charlie Brown Christmas – Linus speaks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sKrwsHwe...OutKast - Hey Ya
Charlie Brown Style (Really fun stuff!)