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The
True Meaning of Christmas Is In The Hearts and Minds of Believers! There is a great commotion again this year
surrounding how people are going to celebrate Christmas and whom they
are going to worship, Jesus or santa? Even if the retail establishments,
government institutions, schools and churches want to take Jesus out of
the nativity and put santa in there instead it should not take away from
what Christmas means to you. Even if they take the word Christmas from
all the holiday cards and quit worshipping the nativity scene, it should
not take away from what Christmas means to you. In the same way, the system can take the bible and
prayer from the government schools but they cannot take God from the
hearts and minds of its students. Jesus
Christ is within the lives of those who allow Him to be there. We can
take Jesus with us to school everyday and pray silently anytime we want
throughout the day. How can they take God out of the schools when God is
in Spirit? They can’t! No one can ever take our beliefs from us unless we
allow them to. However, when we take offense to how others celebrate
Christmas that is when we allow them to trespass on our spirit. If they
want to take the statue of Jesus in the manger away, let them. If they
want to worship santa and his reindeer instead of Jesus, let them! If
they want to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, let them. If
they want to take the name of our Lord, Jesus out of public prayer, let
them. Your prayer does not have to be their prayer. Pray silently anyway
you want and let them pray anyway they want. Therefore come out from them and be separate, says
the Lord. (2Corinthians 7:17 NIV) It’s all about forgiving those who trespass
against us, so we can continue believing in the way we want. When we
forgive others that is how we separate ourselves from the unbelievers.
But when we fuss and fight with them over how to celebrate Christmas we
become one with them instead of separate from them. When we fuss over
how to say Merry Christmas we forget we are supposed to love our
neighbors. Make every effort to live in peace with ALL men and
to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14
NIV) The true meaning of Christmas is in our thoughts,
not in a nativity scene or Christmas card. Unfortunately, through the
years, Christian’s and non-Christian’s alike have made Christmas a
politically correct holiday, and that can be religiously offensive to
some people. The truth of the matter is Christmas was not always
celebrated by Christian’s because it was once considered a pagan
holiday. What has changed? We should give the unbelievers back their holiday.
We should start thinking about the Birth of Jesus Christ every single
day of our lives and worshipping and adoring Him for saving us from
death and giving us eternal life with Him forever in His Heavenly
Paradise. We should not be worrying about how others are going to
celebrate Christmas. We are not commanded to celebrate the birth of
Jesus. We are, however, commanded to love God with all of our heart,
mind and soul. And we are commanded to love one another.
Christian’s should be celebrating the birth of Jesus every day
as a way of life. Instead of fussing and fighting over the right way
to celebrate Christmas, how about loving Jesus Christ first, and then
doing whatever your heart directs you to do. In our family we give gifts whenever we feel like it. We don't wait for a holiday to tell us to give gifts and to remember the birth of Christ. Because frankly folks, Jesus was not even born in December! This is one of those ritualistic holidays that causes turmoil and stress in many people. Why put yourself through all that? Christians should be loving and serving Jesus Christ every day, not just on some pronounced holiday called Christmas! And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in
you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as
you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts
to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the
name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. |