“Christmas to Me”

 

For many, Christmas is a festive holiday filled with joyous and earnest moments, a time to reunite with family after a year of distance and come together for enjoyment. While some have recognized the true meaning and purpose of Christmas, the significance of this celebration remains deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric where festivities play a pivotal role in people's lives, continuing as it has for generations.

 

In recent years, many have debated whether December should be celebrated as Christmas, since it may not be the actual month of Jesus' birth. However, I believe the more important question is whether we are celebrating with the right mindset and a transformed life in Christ. Jesus is more concerned about the state of our hearts than the commemoration of His birthday. What if we celebrate His birthday each year, yet the Lord is not pleased with us? In that case, would it not simply be a celebration for ourselves?

 

We live in a community where all major celebrations of the year take place in December, making the Christmas celebration noisy and lacking focus on its true purpose. Many attend church and fellowship events out of duty and ritual to fulfill the festive season. The church programs have become routine parts of our lives rather than times and spaces dedicated to devotion to God. Devotion and commitment to God have become secondary priorities.

 

In today's world, Christmas has lost much of its biblical significance as people have become increasingly preoccupied with their own personal pursuits. However, the fact that we celebrate Christmas is rooted in a pivotal historical event, and compromising this fact would undermine the true meaning of Christmas.

 

Christmas is a reminder of God's journey with His people, whom He loves so deeply that He is willing to save humankind at any cost. While Christmas may not have been an easy time for Jesus Christ, considering the suffering He would endure, it serves as a powerful reminder that we are lost and in need of a Savior. It also reminds us that we cannot save ourselves and that we must rely on God's grace and mercy.

 

God did not send His Son for us to live a luxurious or aimless life. Rather, God intended that we celebrate Christmas with joy, for a Savior has come to rescue us - something we cannot do ourselves. God did not intend for us to celebrate without His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

The purpose of Jesus's birth is that the lost in sin may receive eternal life. The joy of Christmas lies not in the unintentional and meaningless celebration of men, but in the intentional celebration of the Savior's coming. Christmas is a time to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those lost in sin, and a time for reflecting and rededicating oneself to walking with Him.

 

Christmas is a journey in which God fulfills His word as He has walked with mankind over the years. It is a journey of everyday life in which we celebrate the saving work of Jesus Christ.

 

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5

 

May this Christmas be a time of receiving Jesus Christ and rededicating to walking with Him daily. Let this journey of your faith be found favor in the sight of God.