~Keeping Christ in Christmas~

~Keeping Christ In Christmas~

I know many of us have already been reminded this year about keeping Christ in Christmas but I have not had a chance to write about it and share with you!

With Christmas being 7 days away, I know we are all making mad dashes to finish up with everything we need to do before Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

But are we taking time to dwell on Christ and the true reason for why we celebrate Christmas?

Let me start out by saying:

I love the Christmas Story- The birth of our Saviour.

Reading God's word never gets old or tiring. There is always something new to learn from God's Word.

Here are two main places you can find the Christmas Story:

Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-15

Luke 1:5-2:38

The Nativity story is found in Luke 2:1-38

These will get you started if you have not had a chance to read the Birth of Christ. 

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  (Matthew 1: 21)

 

During the Christmas season we are surrounded by reminders of Christ.  The manger scene at the corner church, the greeting cards adorned with angels and the carols playing in every store. Being surrounded by all the decor, and music it should cause us to stop and worship.  Yet often we don’t stop.

See-- sometimes as busy women we can get so caught up in the externals of the season that Christmas can be a dry time for us spiritually.  We rush around baking, visiting, decorating and shopping, hoping to create the best Christmas season ever.  Yet these externals don’t satisfy the deep longings of our hearts.  Like the Psalmist, our spirits cry out,

“my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63: 1

 In the midst of this busy season or anytime for that matter, the Lord invites us to, “Be still and know that I am God.”  His Spirit calls out to us to quench our thirsty souls in Christ.

We need to be reminded of the Gospel of grace daily.

That the baby in the manger was,“Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth.”

Every family has its own set of holiday traditions.  Traditions can be wonderful and cause you to look forward to a special holiday of bringing the family together.  But we have to be careful to not let the holiday or tradition take away from the real reason of why we celebrate Christmas.

I know when I was little each Christmas Eve my mom would make cinnamon rolls and my dad would sit down in the living room and read us all the Christmas Story. I have such fond memories of singing Happy Birthday to Jesus on Christmas morning and pondering on why we celebrate Christmas.

But think about traditions for a minute.....

We can go can from one extreme to the other.

You may be continuing year after year with a tradition that was only meant for a "season".  Or perhaps you’d like to try something new, but your Christmas season is already overflowing with activities that you are simply doing it for old time’s sake.  Well, slowly, over time, you can become a slave to your traditions, which may leave you busy, tired and frazzled. 

This is Satan' plan, Isn’t it? 

He loves to keep us so busy that we’re too distracted to fulfill our godly purpose?

You know-- this past year I have been giving a lot of thought as to why we start certain traditions? 

I am not saying there is anything wrong with them but we need to make sure it isn't consuming us or our time and leaving God out.

Because after-all---Christmas is about Christ and His birth. 

Christmas is all about celebrating the birth of Christ.  Yet year after year we see less of Christ in Christmas and more of-- it’s all about me, my family, the shopping and all the stuff.

God has given us the best, most expensive and powerful gift of all:  His Son Jesus. 

Just remember this as you go through the next week. Christmas is just 7 days away. Make sure you keep Christ in Christmas and that your traditions are done for the right reasons.

So take time this busy holiday season.

Pause and meditate on who Christ is.  

Think on Him as you read your devotions, praying that the Lord will minister to you through the songs and Scriptures presented. 

Have a blessed Christ-centered Christmas.