Christmas

When you think of Christmas you think family, gifts, receiving, shopping, love, togetherness, of bills, of whoa let’s stop. This time of year can be stressful and or depressing. Maybe you don’t have enough to give or your family is living away from each other or this time of year reminds you of the pain of losing someone you love.

You’re emotions are on a roller coaster, but for believers this shouldn’t be. We shouldn’t have to be reminded yearly “The Reason for the Season”, this is a time of joy and celebration.

It is a time to celebrate not what you have in the way of things or even the people that surround you but the gift given to us by God, His son Jesus Christ. He was sent to die to be our Savior so we can know God to have a relationship with the creator of the universe. Not to be a distant God but one who is deeply invested in our lives.  He came to show us what we could be, because the same Spirit that lived in Him lives in us. The way he communicated to His Father and knew the Father’s will we can know too. His gift, His life, should influence our moments just like the moment He was born influenced eternity.

I want to end with a glimpse of a movie scene. It’s a movie I watch every Christmas titled The Christmas Child based on a short story written by Max Lucado. In it there is a scene where the pastor played by Steven Curtis Chapman explains the meaning of the manger he says:

Let us remember that this scene represents so much more tan a touching story or a nostalgic holiday fairy tale it is in fact a reminder of the most amazing reality that God came and God spoke Peace on earth God is with us and the God who came still speaks. The God who came still cares. This is the true miracle of Christmas as we stand in our real world and our real lives full of problems and questions; past hurts and future hopes God is with us.

How awesome is that!