"It's Christmas. Yeah? So what?"

Has all the bad news taken hold of you, left you anxious, or full of despair? Are feeling like the cynical man who brushed off my greeting with a snarl: “It’s Christmas! Yeah, so what?” This 'holy day' Season you can gain strength, renewal, and hope. You will not find these gifts under your tree or at the office party! It really can be a ‘wonderful time of the year,’ if we look in the right places for our joy.    

So, what choices can make the difference between ‘bah, humbug,’ and ‘joy to the world?’

Make people your priority!
Likely, you will either host gatherings or be a guest at one or more. Savor the time. Give another your full attention. Don’t rush, hurry, or just try to 'get the program' completed. Enjoy the opportunity to be with friends and family.  Be content with less-than-perfect preparations of food and décor. Those things will quickly fade into oblivion anyway, but an evening of meaningful conversation creates a lasting memory to which we return again and again.

Remember to include worship!
Believe me, if you will set aside 20 minutes each day between now and Christmas Day, to meditate, to pray, and to read the stories of Jesus' nativity from Matthew and Luke; the Spirit will meet you! Tell your family you will be going to church on Christmas Eve. Arrive early and sit with a listening heart, not one wondering, “when will this be over?” "O come, let us adore Him... Christ, the Lord!" Most Americans will spend far more time in the mall than in church during the next seven days! We will worship at the altar of consumerism with far more fervency than we will worship our Lord Jesus. This imbalance in the use of our time and money reveals the identity of our true god. Keeping Christ in Christmas isn't just about putting up a crèche on the lawn at City Hall. It's about building an altar in our heart and honoring the One whose life is the cause for the celebration.

Give yourself away!  

In Acts 20:35 (The Message) says, "I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, ‘You’re far happier giving than getting.’ ” Give forgiveness. Give love. Give time. Give grace. Give away your expectations and receive what these days bring your way.   

Recover wonder!  Read the Christmas story and instead of asking, "How could this be?" invite the mystery of it all to whisper to your soul a new message about the depth of God's love. Watch the old film, "It's a Wonderful Life," and don't make fun of it! Instead, let it inspire you to make a difference in someone's life today. I am not urging superficial sentimentality. I am suggesting that we have to let go of our sophistication, our cynicism, our intense focus on now. Let the sophisticates pretend to be bored by the holiday. Choose to be child-like (not childish!) in your wonder.

You can come to New Year's Day with a renewed heart! Sure, you may be tired in body from staying up too late, going here and there, but you will have received Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit. And, He brings life.

Here's a word from the Word to take with you as you begin this Christmas week- "The Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. ... We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us-one gracious blessing after another." (John 1:14, 16, NLT)

__________

Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne

Thou didst leave Thy throne

And Thy kingly crown,

When Thou camest to earth for me;

But in Bethlehem's home,

There was found no room

For Thy holy nativity.

O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,

There is room in my heart for Thee.

Thou camest, O Lord,

With the living Word

That should set Thy people free.

But, with mocking scorn

And with crown of thorn

They bore Thee to Calvary.

O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,

There is room in my heart for Thee.

Emily Elizabeth Steele Elliott | Timothy Richard Matthews

Public Domain