During this season you have people who complain that we shouldn't celebrate Christmas because:
- it really isn't Jesus' b-day.
- because Jesus didn't command us to celebrate His b-day.
- because many of the traditions we celebrate are from pagan rituals.
- because Christmas has become so commercialized.
- and so on and so forth.
Now I don't disagree with any of the above statements. They are all true. But does that mean that we should abandon the opportunity to help people discover who Jesus is?
The celebration of Christmas has been embraced by Christians for generations. Families would remember the birth of Jesus as the greatest gift that God the Father could give us. Salvation through His Son, Jesus.
- We give gifts to symbolize that gift.
- We celebrate Jesus' birth as an act of thanksgiving, praise and worship unto Him.
- We make an extra effort to exhibit the Christian qualities of mercy, grace, hope, forgiveness and love to others during this season.
If you take some time to google the origins of Christmas (which I wouldn't suggest) you will find a hundred versions mostly based on someone's conjecture.
So how can you keep the main thing, the main thing this holiday season?
Keep Christmas about Christ. If you make Christmas about it's past or it's tradition, then you will lose focus. Every gift you gift, every act of kindness you commit, every carol you sing is about Jesus, not Christmas.
Keep Christmas about the future. Thanksgiving is to give thanks for what Jesus has done. Christmas is a celebration of what Jesus is going to do. Help people discover that there is a future in Christ and you can do that through Christmas.
Sunday November 23rd is Thanksgiving Sunday at Faith Family Worship Center. You and your family are welcome to join us for a great service at 10:30 am and one of the best Thanksgiving Dinners you will ever enjoy at 12 noon.
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