Don't Settle For Christmas Cheer
I love Christmas and almost everything about it. I love the lights and decorations. I love the giving of gifts, the tree, the food, the music, and even the hustle and bustle. I loved the school and church programs. I love the Christmas themed TV shows (A Charlie Brown Christmas is my favorite).But it’s easy to love all of those things and settle for little more than winter solstice, and not really enjoy Christmas. Even with the fun of ugly sweaters, Christmas parties, Santa Claus, and the gift giving and receiving; all of those things are so surface, so mediocre, so unremarkable, when compared to what Christmas really means.When people talk about Christmas spirit or Christmas cheer, they are talking about good things. People being nice to each other, being generous, smiles, fun, laughter. All that is good. But compared to God, the Creator of the universe, becoming a helpless baby, dependent on a poor teenage girl to care for him, so that we who are lost and condemned in our sin, may be forgiven and reconciled to Him, and spend eternity heaven instead of eternity in hell; that other stuff pales! You can have your hot chocolate and mistletoe…GIVE ME JESUS! That’s the meaning of Christmas.So please, don’t settle! Parents, with your kids, don’t settle! Don’t let this be about Santa Claus, sleighs, snowflakes, candles, music, a family dinner with ham, or whatever else we enjoy this time of year. Those things are so minor in comparison to Jesus! Instead of talking about the wonder of make-believe flying reindeer, why not make a much bigger deal over the real wonder of God becoming a man, so that we can be saved? Why not concentrate on the Gospel? The pretend magic of Santa is nothing in comparison to that! Don’t settle!I know...you already know that. But is that what Christmas is about in your home? What gets your kids excited? What puts you in a good mood on Christmas Eve? If it’s Santa Claus, gift exchange, or Christmas Vacation, you are settling, and you are missing out. Your family too.Figure out how to make Christmas what it is meant to be. Centered around and focused on Jesus’ incarnation. The real St. Nick (Nicholas of Myra) would have wanted it no other way, and would be horrified to see how his legacy has supplanted Jesus. Don’t settle for Christmas magic or Christmas cheer. Make this Christmas about Jesus!So what can you do personally and in your home to accomplish that? How can you refocus on the awesomeness that is the Advent of the Messiah?