Is Christmas a who or a what? What makes Christmas, and why do we celebrate it? Why has the world tried so hard to take the word Christ out of Christmas by making it just another holiday?
Stop and think about how you learned about Christmas. Did someone tell you the story of Christ’s birth, or was it about Santa Claus, presents, decorations, and parties? As you have grown up, what is the real reason you now celebrate Christmas?
You Choose What Christmas Means
For many people who have had painful or abusive memories with other people in their lives around Christmas, it’s difficult to heal through these negative memories and find Christ’s joy. As with any pain in our lives, we have to choose to walk through the healing process with Jesus to be free from the pain and darkness. No matter how we have been treated by other people, it doesn’t change the truth about Christmas.
The creation of Christmas came through the unconditional love of our Father God in the form of baby Jesus. God chose to send His only Son to make sure we had the opportunity to choose to live with them on earth and into eternity. He gave us the ability to become like Jesus on earth and to live in the essence of Christ every day.
We must decide to walk hand in hand with Jesus and let him show us his joy in his season of Christmas. We must choose to keep him as the reason for Christmas. We must commit to growing our personal relationship with him and work with him to heal us and to let his love flow in and through us.
When you have had an unhappy Christmas in the past, only you can stop allowing your past to dim the wonder of your current and future Christmas with Jesus. Choose to hold his hand and focus on doing kind acts for others, which honors God. As you focus on sharing the love, kindness, gentleness, grace, and mercy of Christ living in you, he will ignite his joy in you. As my personal relationship with Jesus has grown deeper, so has the joy I feel and the wonder of the spirit of Christmas.
When you have had great Christmas memories with family and friends, make sure you don’t allow others to become the center of your Christmas. People are the icing on the cookies of Christmas. Your loved ones are not the origin or the essence of Christmas, it is Jesus.
When Christ Lives in You
Christmas was created to acknowledge and to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to mirror his heart, attitude, character, words, and actions with his love and hope. It’s time to shine for him. It’s time to show others who Christ is during the Christmas season and all year long. It’s time for you to stop letting your past Christmas’ dictate your current Christmas and the ones in your future.
Focus on living and loving others like Jesus and experience his love and joy during Christmas. Keep him at the center of your thoughts, words, and actions all season long. Be intentional to celebrate Jesus and to show his love and be determined to have a Merry Christmas!
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV
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