Thursday, December 18, 2008

What is Your Goal this Christmas?

"
"He is the Reason for the Season"
"It's CHRISTmas Not Xmas"
"We need to put CHRIST back in Christmas"


I agree...but then again, what do you expect from the world? If the world doesn't care about His death, why should they celebrate His birth? Then again, why are we celebrating His birth? There is no Scripture mandating us celebrating Christmas; but there is Scripture mandating we remember His resurrection...every Sunday on THE LORD's DAY.

STOPPPPPPP....


Some were getting all upset already ready to pounce on me some ripping comment about not celebrating Christmas...I'm not one of those...I celebrate Christmas. I love Christmas. I love remembering the fact that Christ came to this earth and according to Philippians 2, "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

I praise God that His Son came and was born and died for me, but wouldn't it be great if every Christian were excited about every Lord's Day(which we are to celebrate) as they are about Christmas (which we aren't told to celebrate)?

So what is your goal this Christmas? To celebrate the Lord's coming? To make memories with family? To get lots of cool stuff? Most Christians are adamant for option "A", but let them compare how much time they shopped with how much time they prayed to thank Him for coming. Let them compare how much time they decorated with how much time they witnessed. Let them compare how many tracts they passed out with how many gifts they wrapped. What's our goal?

There is nothing wrong in taking Christmas time for option "B" either. Family time is precious, and unfortunately, not enough Christians are investing in it. We need to make memories with our children. We need to take the time to hang the ornaments, make the cut out cookies, go see the lights. We need to look forward to Christmas Eve at Papa and Mama's house. We need to wake up at 5 a.m. Christmas morning and wait for the first sounds to come out of our children's bedrooms in anticipation. What's wrong with those things? Christmas can be a great time to build memories and establish traditions. My favorite is remembering my father read the Christmas story every Christmas morning and eating a Christmas breakfast my mom would make. I miss those days; but look forward to next week, when on Thursday morning I will read Luke 2 to my family with the smell of a fresh breakfast filling the house that my wife has prepared for us. I will see wide open-anxious-tired eyes looking at me early that morning-just as I looked 25 years ago at my father. Christmas! I love it.

My goal? To rehearse the story of Christ's birth to my family and to our church; to take the opportunity to share why He came to the lost; to make memories and enjoy the traditions of my family; and maybe...just maybe get something really cool (like a TomTom GPS...in case Stacey reads this).

I love Christmas!