Tag: Christmas and holiday season

Christmas, what is it to you?


This time of year is many things to many people. It is a time of hope, a time of joy and giving to others, a time of renewing friendships and relationships with people who are close to us. To some it is a time of worry and anxiety and being unsure of what to do or what to get someone special, it is a time of loss for some and a time of grief as well. Many people experience a very depressing time during this holiday season. In consideration of that, I have to ask “Why?”

I went through many years of depression and anger during this part of the year because of a divorce between my parents which seemed to coincide with this time of year. Then, about 18 years ago, my mother died on Christmas Eve. It wasn’t exactly unexpected because she had been sick for a long time, but it took me many years to get past the feelings which came during the holidays because of it. I am telling all of this to those of you who read here in order to ratify my ability to sympathize with the feelings which come during this time of year.

Yes, there are problems which we all have during this time of year. Bills, frustration, grief, heartache, anxiety, but there is also joy, happiness, kindness, love and acceptance between us and those that are around us. We can choose to be better human beings and be a blessing to those around us or we can act in such a way as to be labeled a “scrooge”, but it is our choice!

Can we choose to be better in our daily lives so that the holidays are more enjoyable? Yes, we can! It has to be a conscious choice though, not just a temporary or superficial show which is not real. Choose to be a better person and decide to work toward that goal, though many of us can’t accomplish this on our own. We have to be prepared to be changed from the inside out and that change is something which we cannot do on our own!

You can struggle all you want, trying to get free of sin, but all you’re going to do is sink deeper. Stop the struggle. Surrender to Christ, because you do not have what it takes to get out of sin unless someone gives you a way out. And that way out is Jesus. His name is wonderful. He is the mighty God, the everlasting Father, our Prince of peace. He is your salvation and the path to salvation, the only path that is available to each of us, yet it is our decision to accept this offer. Whether we accept it or not, Jesus is the only way to salvation and being free of the burden and bondage of sin.

What kind of Christmas do you celebrate?


In most of the world that is industrialized, this time of year is a very hectic time of year. Everyone that has a business is having sales. They are open early and stay open late all for the reason of making the most sales, and the most profit during the Christmas season. But, the question is “What kind of Christmas do you celebrate?” Are you working through it, having to get to work early and stay later to take care of all of those shoppers? Are you working longer hours so you can afford to give your children lots of toys that will be lying around or broken by the end of February?

Or, do you celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ during this season? Most of us know that He was not born on December 25, the early church used a pagan holiday to try to make some converts and that is why that date was chosen. Nowhere in the Scriptures does it say the exact date, unless there is a record of the census taken under Caesar and that is not likely after two thousand years. Jesus is the true reason for the season but do most people celebrate His birth during this time of year? Unfortunately, many people do not.

They celebrate the holidays by giving gifts and by going to parties. Some give thanks at Thanksgiving, but are they giving thanks for what is or should be important in their lives or are they thankful for things which will not last? Then after Christmas, comes the New Year celebration where people determine that they will do better this next year, they will be a better person or be less of a person by years end (by dieting).

So, with all of these promises and things, what is the important lesson that has been learned by years end? How much stuff still works since last year? How much weight did I lose or gain in the course of the year? All of these things are great, to an extent, but what literal good comes from an Xbox or a PlayStation?

What is the message that your children get from the games that they immerse themselves in? Did the diet really get you back to your jeans from high school? I don’t even have any jeans from that period of my life! If I did, there is no way I could fit in them, with any kind of diet short of a hunger strike!

We have put far too much into the “consumer” part of living, and have left out the most important part…living! Stuff that is bought for Christmas should never replace the One that the season is about in the first place, because He is your Savior and if He is not, then He should be. Take the time to read the book of Luke, chapter 2 verses one through twenty with your family if possible. Pray about the meaning of His birth to you and the world and ask God to show you what you mean to Him, it may surprise you when you find the answer.