Through out the holiday season I watch many people try to place God in their exciting "party time." They say something like, "now we can't forget that today is little Jesus' birthday." But I truly wonder if they are trying to place "little Jesus" into this holiday solely because they feel guilty. What is it we usually see them making a big deal over anyway? The presents? The food? The family?(surely not) We watch the kids running around in frantic excitement over what Santa Claus has put under the tree, or shooting their marshmallow guns like crazy... which, I can't slam them for that one. But if we look at the children we will see the image of the parents (this is always true, mostly when watching the kids actions and how naughty they are being), and find out what the parents are really instilling into their children. Do the kids ever bring up Jesus into the conversation? If they happen to, what exactly are they saying? Are they even understanding the true story of Christ's birth, or are they just placing the name of Jesus and the thought of a manger with a huge shining star hanging over it into the framework of the holiday of Christmas? Before we start placing this story of Jesus (which so many times leads children to look at it as just a fantastical story) into the holiday we call Christmas we need to be careful. If we do celebrate this holiday we need to check ourselves for not putting the wrong image of Christ into other people's minds (mostly when around many lost family memebers). We should treat (such as in speech or prayer) Christ as we have always done, and not adding in an extra "silly god" such as Santa. Are we celebrating this holiday for the sole reason of giving glory to God? And when we do bring God's name up are we placing the correct amount of honour to it.
It is very easy to get caught up with the Christmas tree, the stockings, the presents, and Santa but we need to make sure that even in our prayers we aren't thanking God for sending Santa all the way down here from the north pole to give our kiddies something nice. Very shortly Children begin to reverence Santa more than they do God. "He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake. You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I'm telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town." Wow, Santa sounds just as powerful as God, and we better not "sin" cause Santa will give us a lump of coal otherwise.
I thank God for giving us this time of fellowship with all our family so that we can share the true meaning of Jesus' birth without adding the fairy tale stories into it. I hope that everyone was able to "preach the Gospel everywhere and if you must use words!"
4 comments:
Wow! These true words are on my heart as well and cause tempers to flare and people to become instantly defensive to even suggest what was plainly and accurately spoken in this post. I've wondered whether we added Santa to Christmas or if Jesus was added later to somehow religionize a pagan holiday...I've not studied it; however it is most shameful that to examine its contemporary practice one cannot tell. The Christians say Christ's birth when we don't know for certain the exact date yet alone the fact that we are not commanded to remember his birth, but his death, and the heathen fancy their own God of merit! To confuse the matter farther, the vast majority choose to proclaim both! I strongly agree that the children reflect the parents and that if Jesus isn't on their lips any other time, why should it be at Christmas? Does God expect us to be any holier at one time of the year than any other? I think not, however, because this holiday for one reason or the other is considered somewhat holy by the world, it is even more shameful to the parents and their children who neglect to proclaim the true Jesus as he is today, resurected and reigning! Thank you, Briar, for you zeal and courage in this hard, but wonderful post!
Talk about a wonderful post, you need to post your comment on your blog! :D Thanks so much for the encouragement...
Okay, you must realize that you are taking tooooooo long to post...Some of us out here long for more JUST LIKE THIS! You say things many of us just think, and you think things many of us are fearful to entertain. Thank you for your courage, and your transparency... a rare jewel among so many blogs...
I agree with Anna, you need to post this Jonathan, some really great thoughts.
Thank you Anna for exposing the shallowness of what many call a "Christian holiday".
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