Remember Christmas
Bright lights, bows, green’s, red’s…there is no doubt Christmas time is upon us. Houses are decorated with lights and blow-up characters. Christmas trees are decorated inside homes. Downtown streets are decorated with lights and those outlined angels on the light poles. When you walk into a store or turn on the radio, there is a flood of Christmas music from every station. I love Christmas.
If you think about it, there is no other day/holiday that is so openly centered on Jesus Christ. Think about it…not July 4th, not Thanksgiving, not Valentine’s Day. Many musical artists will sing the classic Christmas songs such as “Joy to the World” or “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Each of these songs boldly shares of the Savior to come. My question is do they know what they are singing? Do we know what we are singing? With Christmas coming yearly and having so much associated excitement, we can rush right on through Christmas without taking the time to remember the reason for the season. We too can be singing these songs but forget what these words mean.
In the Bible we see countless examples of God calling us to stop and remember, both in the Old and New Testament. In the Old Testament after a great event in which God had brought His people through, they would make an altar out of rocks and other materials (Gen 8:20, Ex 17:15). This was so that whenever they would see that altar, they would remember the great work God has done. In the New Testament we find the writers urging the church to remember(Acts 20:35, Eph 2). Remember the story of the Gospel. Remember how God has created us in His image. Remember that we rejected Him and turned towards ourselves. REMEMBER how Christ took on flesh in the form of a baby and humbly went to the cross to die for us to redeem us and restore us, to bring us back into God’s family. Remember, Remember, Remember.
As we get closer to Christmas, there are more and more family gatherings and Christmas parties. I want to encourage you to do two things:
1.) REMEMBER the reason for Christmas –
Continue to enjoy and celebrate Christmas. As you sing Christmas songs in the car or at work, take a moment and listen and remember. Listen to the words that point to our glorious Savior. As we cook and labor over hot meals, remember the one who came to labor for us to be redeemed. As we enjoy one another’s company, remember Christ who seeks a relationship with us. As we wrap or open presents, remember the greatest gift of all, the birth of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ!
2.) REMEMBER to share the meaning and joy of Christmas with others –
As we come in contact with so many people, let us remember Christ and that He is the greatest news we could ever share with them. Be engaged and love them. Ask a question about their Christmas traditions, what their favorite part about this season is, what’s their fondest Christmas memory. Listen and share your own stories. Share the reason for the season. Share your excitement of presents and family. Share your excitement of the birth of our Savior!
Here is a link to 10 simple questions that you can ask that can help start conversations.
http://www.sbts.edu/blogs/2015/12/11/10-questions-to-ask-at-your-christmas-gathering/
Merry Christmas!