Thursday, December 25, 2003

Where Does Christ Fit into Your Christmas?
Charles Stanley
In Touch

Imagine throwing a birthday party for a friend,
inviting hundreds of guests, preparing an abundant
supply of food, and decorating for hours on end,
without ever inviting him or her to the party. That
would be crazy!

Yet year after year, many of us celebrate the birth of
Christ without acknowledging the person for which this
meaningful holiday was intended. The sights and sounds
of Christmas surround us: from fully decorated malls
and downtown plazas to television specials and
theatrical productions. However, the name of Jesus is
hardly spoken in this environment.

Sure, we may attend church once or twice during
December. We may even recite the second chapter of
Luke on Christmas morning, but how often do we thank
God for the amazing gift He gave us over 2,000 years
ago? How often are our lives a display of this
gratitude?

To some, Christmas is nothing more than tradition and
ritual-an opportunity to stock up on the latest gift
ideas and sample all varieties of food. The holiday
season simply involves one-day sales at the mall,
overpriced eggnog, and images of flying reindeer. It's
an occasion to take a few days vacation from work and
catch up on the latest movie rentals.

It's easy to get pulled into the festivities of
Christmas without realizing the significance of this
precious day. December 25th isn't celebration just for
the sake of celebrating; it is the day that we observe
the birth of the Son of God-the Savior of mankind.

The more time that passes since Christ's birth, the
more watered down and over-commercialized Christmas
becomes. Why? Many have failed to accept the most
important gift they could ever receive: Jesus Christ.

From the beginning of time, God prepared the exact day
and time of Christ's arrival. He knew mankind would
rebel. Sin blanketed the world, as it still does
today. Before Christ, however, man's only hope was to
work his way to heaven by following set rules and
regulations. We were in dire need of a Savior. God
provided One.

In the Old Testament, Isaiah foretold Christ's coming:
"For a child will be born to us . . . and His name
will be called Wonderful Counselor" (Isaiah 9:6).
Micah, as well, wrote of Jesus' coming incarnation:
"But as for you Bethlehem . . . from you One will go
forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth
are from long ago, from the days of eternity" (Micah
5:2).

The birth of Christ had been anticipated for
centuries. Many had spoken and written of His coming,
yet this extraordinary event occurred in the presence
of only two, Mary and Joseph, and within the simple
confines of a stable.

From these humble beginnings, Christ went on to
dramatically change the spiritual landscape of the
world forever, offering salvation through the grace of
God rather than the effort of man. He endured torment,
humiliation, and unthinkable pain to reconcile us,
unworthy sinners, to His Father, God.

Yet when we celebrate on December 25th, how much of
our focus is truly on Him? Do we thank and praise Him
for sacrificing Himself for us? Do we glorify and
worship Him for being born in such unsanitary, meager
conditions-all so that we could one day have the
opportunity to experience His presence in heaven? Or
is Christmas merely another opportunity to spend more
time focusing on our worldly concerns, such as food
and entertainment?

Certainly, there is nothing wrong with the traditional
ways we celebrate Christmas: lights, trees,
gift-wrapped presents and plentiful food. However,
when these festivities overshadow the real meaning of
the season-the birth of Christ-then it is time for us
to reexamine our priorities.

Where is Christ on your Christmas to-do list? Is He
just part of a one-hour service on Christmas Eve, or
do you make it a point to stay centered on Jesus in
your day-to-day life throughout the season-and, more
importantly, the entire year?

Take some time this Christmas season to readjust your
focus. If you find yourself spending more time
stressing over recipes, shopping sprees, stocking
stuffers, and guest bedrooms than truly celebrating
Jesus' birth, then ask God to center your mindset on
the true significance of Christmas.

Without Christ in your Christmas, how can you be
merry?

shystar*;
x 12/25/2003 09:14:00 PM