2:349 – I’m Already Over Christmas, and I Don’t Even Have A Tree

#faithbites #faithjourney

After being pumped up by our Christmas Cantata, I went to the Dollar General for a bag of chips. The lady behind the counter looked tired and said she was done with Christmas. She said it working in retail and having this stuff out so early has made her ready to be over Christmas. Then she added that she was done and didn’t even have her tree up.

That made me think that, like many, she saw Christmas as the jingle bells and the noise, not about Jesus. We know that following Jesus isn’t logical. We know that many want to commercial Christmas and make it a non-religious holiday. If that is what Christmas is to you, I can see why you could be sick of it and done.

But for me, I’m just getting revved up. We are celebrating our savior’s birth. In other words, he is born to save us, bridge us back to our father, and forgive us all our sins. That is something I will never be done with, even if I didn’t have a tree.

Scripture

• For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6
• And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.ThereforeGod has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. – Philippians 2:8-10
• For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23

Reflection

The wages of sin is Death but God loved us so much he sent his son to save us. He died for us. Christmas is his beginning.

There were no decorated trees in the bible. The only trees were where Judas hung himself and the cross, made from a tree, where Jesus died. No one gave gifts to each other, except the gifts from the wise men, and Jesus’s gift of life, love, and salvation. There were no sales on gifts, only the sale of our sins bought by Christ’s blood.

We shouldn’t be “over” or “done” with Christmas. We should be in awe of that miracle and celebrate what this means for how we should act on a daily basis.

I hope that woman finds the Christmas spirit, not in a store, but in a story in the pages of the Bible.

Challenge

It’s easy to get sucked into the shopping, parties, wrapping, gift-giving, and everything else that comes with Christ. Promise yourself, you will take at least 10 minutes to reflect upon the miracle of Jesus’s birth. Give yourself time with your Lord to remember that everything that happened that night in Bethlehem, was for you and your salvation.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for your son. Be with us as we all celebrate Christmas in our own way. Remind us often that the reason we celebrate, the reason we have days off of work and school, the reason we are giving gifts, is not for personal gain. It is to remember, reflect, and rejoice in the birth of your son. We love you and give you all the power, glory, and honor. Amen.