Have We Lost Christmas?: Remembering the True Meaning of the Season

Last Sunday our pastor used that very concept in our sermon and it's been on my heart ever since. I see it as I'm reading about stressed out family members going out of their way to spend money they don't have, when at Wal-Mart and it's insanely busy (even busier than normal for Wal-Mart). and even when I think of family and friends and their relationship with God.

My pastor was right. We have "Lost Christmas"



What does that mean exactly? Well it means that we've lost the true meaning of Christmas. We've replaced it with the craziness of trying to outdo each other with the best gift or the most money spent. We get so busy shopping, baking, traveling or hosting out of town guests that we don't spend time with our heavenly Father. We let the phrase "Happy Holidays" greet us and come out of our moths without realizing what it means or why people use it instead of "Merry Christmas."

In a nutshell we've forgotten what Christmas is all about. Isaiah 9:6 says,

That is what we need to remember. On Christmas day God became man, knowing that He would be required to die on the cross. Knowing that the world would reject their savior. Knowing that although people would celebrate His birth it would eventually become overrun by materialism, greed and self righteousness.

I even heard a commercial on the radio where a young girl stated that she "Deserved" the great Christmases she'd had.

In reality,  WE DON'T DESERVE ANY OF IT. God is gracious enough to give us EVERYTHING we have even though we sin every day and forget to worship and thank Him for the blessings in our lives.

And yes I know that not everyone gets so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season but at the same time, so many of us do. I encourage you as we approach Christmas, to tell others what Christmas is truly about. It's about God coming to be with us with the sole purpose of dying for our sins in order for us to be saved by His grace and mercy.

Pray for the people you'll be seeing this Christmas! Pray for opportunities to share your testimony, to answer questions and share the true meaning of Christmas with those you love.