Christmas is and is not . . .

I shared this with my Community Group from church the other week, and have now heard something of the sort several times since then.  After that I decide to go ahead and post it here.

So the year is coming to an end and I got to thinking about everything that has happened.  Lessons I've learned, mistakes I've made, joys I have shared and I wanted to put in perspective what I would like to walk away with after this year.

But then I got distracted, who would have thought, and started thinking about Christmas.  After a minute the two came together.  When I’m in January and I look back at Christmas with Kristy and Linc what will I think about, what will he?  What’s important?

Kristy used to have some VHS tapes of old Christmas shows recorded off of TV.  Fat Albert, Charlie Brown, Santa is coming to town, stuff like that.  While it may be very vague, there is always a hint of Christ in those.  There is always a slight look at the Birth of Jesus be it ever so indistinct, it is there.

I watched Shrek the Halls the other night – while the entertainment value was so so, there was no Christ.  We are trying to change the meaning of Christmas.  And I mean in Christian culture too.

Christmas is not about getting, we all know that, and it’s not about giving in the way that we do.  We give so that someone else can have something, and hopefully thank us for it!  But that giving is a correlation of the gift Christ gave through Himself in that manger, do we clarify that?  I don’t do that well!  I suck at that!

Let me tell you what Christmas is NOT about . . . it’s not about getting or giving or family or friends or hanging out or a couple days off.  This holiday is about the fact that Christ loved us so much he came down to live on this earth in our flesh for 30 some years so that we wouldn’t have to be under the bonds of the Law anymore!

Those things aren’t bad, don’t give them up, they are great, I love them all and enjoy them during this time of year.  They are good things. 

But don’t lose Christ in them, point to Him through them!

Here is a version of the Christmas Story, combined from Matthew and Luke, it’s a little loose, so cut me some slack but it's easy to read for all ages.

That is why WE celebrate Christmas, not the culture, not the world, not even  many believers, but that is why Christians, followers of Christ should be celebrating this season!

So how, is the question, and it is different for everyone.  It could be stories or traditions, but think through these things as it is quickly approaching, think through how you’re gonna do this with your family and friends.  So that when both you and them look back they see Christ through the giving and receiving and relaxing and hanging out and being together. 

Men, this is on us, it's our responsibility to make this happen.  Thankfully I was given an incredibly smart and creative wife to be a part of creating memories that lead to Christ through this season.  But it is our responsibility as husbands, fathers, and men to ensure that it happens.

Find the ways to build the memories that lead to Christ.

Merry Christmas!