Everyone looks so happy in their Facebook pictures. Unwrapping presents, eating Christmas cookies, and watching "Christmas" movies. Is that what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown? It almost seems like the true meaning of Christmas has been forgotten.
Jesus makes an appearance once in a while, but the majority of our "Christmas" pictures seem to be about ourselves. Just like any other day of the year, but on steroids.
I have nothing against these family pictures whatsoever or documenting anyone's family fun. I'm all for those things actually. We should do MORE of it. But what do all of these moments and pictures have to do with Christ's birth, other than that they happened on or about December 25th?
Christmas, and Thanksgiving too, have just become reasons to get together and celebrate family. Again, there's nothing wrong with family time, but these holidays were designed for celebrating Christ's birth and for giving thanks to God. Our knowledge about God, and why we celebrate, and HOW we celebrate, has changed.
We might say we believe in God, but we also tell our kids the same thing about Santa and the tooth fairy. There is a disconnect here.
We tell our children not to lie but then we turn right around and lie to them. Kids are smart. Their parent's lying plants seeds in the minds of the young.
The Bible says that God hates a lying tongue.
“There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” - Proverbs 6:16-19
Lying makes the list TWICE! If we truly knew God, why would we ever lie? Forgetting Christ and Christmas is also a lie.
We can know OF God, but we don't really KNOW Him. If we actually KNEW God, would our Facebook pictures and posts look totally different? And why do we need special holidays to give thanks and celebrate Christ's birth? Shouldn't that be an EVRERYDAY thing?
“’These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." - Matthew 15:8
Have you ever watched The Nativity Story movie? It's not about Christmas as we think of it today. The movie is about the actual birth of Christ. But really, it is about the struggle we humans have to find a place for Him in our lives . . . and to have Him born . . . in us.
If we profess a faith in Christ, shouldn't our Christmas celebrations reflect that belief?
How can we honor God more at Christmas? Attend a Christmas Eve or a Christmas day church service. Give gifts, not to ourselves, or to others, but to God. Those are good, but what about the way we live our lives. Every day. Isn't that what God truly wants from us?
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ - Matthew 12:30-32
Basically, God wants US. He wants us all and He wants our all. He wants our "everything."
Here is an ominous verse for all who think everything is fine just the way it is. I'll leave it here in the King James version. Read it and pray for God's return to our Christmas celebrations. And to our everyday lives.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. - Hosea 4:6
Christmas is a wonderful thing to celebrate, as long as we remember WHY we celebrate.
Be Born In Me - Francesca Battistelli
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