WHY ARE YOU CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS?
by Lisa Maki
Now that it is Christmas time, let me ask you one question … Why are you celebrating Christmas? Your answer may be any of these: Because it is the birthday of Jesus … because it has been a tradition … because the whole world is celebrating it … etc.
The only answer I can accept here is the first one … because it is the birthday of Jesus. Yet, even this is not a Biblical answer. I can go endless proving to all of you that December 25 is not Jesus’ birthday. However, that is not my point here. My point is to help you check your motives on why you celebrate Christmas.
Romans 12:2 says … Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Christmas is a worldly tradition, and if we are instructed by the Bible not to conform any longer to the pattern of this world, then we should not be celebrating Christmas the way the world does. Before I got reborn, the best time of the year for me was Christmas. Why? Here are the reasons why … because it was the colder season (I come from a tropical country); because it was a break from the regular routine; because it was time with family; because it was time for buying presents for others; because it was time to receive presents (I will admit that I enjoyed the receiving part better); because it was a time when people seemed nicer and happier; because I had a good excuse to buy myself presents; because I got to decorate my house with my nice Christmas tree and decors. It was a good feeling. And back in those days, I rarely had those good feelings. So really, I had good reasons, right? I don’t think there was anything wrong with the way I celebrated or enjoyed Christmas.
This is exactly my point. If we look at the world from the angle of crime, war, drugs, and violence, then we see it as bad. Yet if we look at it from the angle of happy people, we don’t see anything wrong with it. We see two men or two women in a relationship and because they are harmless and happy, we don’t see their relationship for what it is … HOMOSEXUALITY which is a SIN. The devil has created his own standard of what is “good” so as to deceive people.
When God said in His Word to NOT CONFORM TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD, He was not just referring to the obviously bad things. He was referring to everything that is not aligned to His Word. Christmas is not in His Word. The nativity and birth of Christ is, but again, December 25 is not even Jesus’ birthday.
I am not being a “Scrooge” here. I just want to set things right, not based on what I think is right, but what the Bible says is right. If we are to celebrate Jesus’ birthday, then we might as well celebrate it everyday. Being a part of God’s family … being reborn … praising Jesus for sending His Son to this world … these are more than enough reasons to celebrate JESUS everyday, and not just on what we call His birthday.
I am not imposing to you what you should or not do during Christmas. It is your own personal conviction and it is between you and God. However, if you choose to celebrate it as the world does, better be sure that you use this day or season as an opportunity to reach the lost to Christ … an opportunity to preach the Gospel.
I am not just talking here of being nice to people or giving gifts to them or feeding the hungry or visiting orphanages or saying Merry Christmas to others. The world is doing this as well. Besides, we are required to do this all the time and not just during Christmas.
Reaching the lost to Christ and preaching the Gospel during this season is using this time as the jumping board to explaining to others what the birth of Christ really means … that Jesus’ birth was long prophesied from the time of creation … that Jesus’ birth fulfills the promise of God … that Jesus’ birth is God’s gift of eternal life to those who believe in Him and receive Him … that Jesus’ birth is the epitome of God’s love. I can go on and on here …
My Jesus … our Jesus is more than just some pagan Christmas tradition. For us to box Him in this tradition is an insult to who He really is.
I challenge you to take this season to a higher level in Jesus. Do something different for Christ this season. Go out in the streets on Christmas day and carry a sign that says JESUS LOVES YOU. If you’re feeding the hungry, give them a note that says JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE. If you are sending cards, make a personalized one and include a Scripture about Jesus such as John 3:16. During Christmas dinner, pray beyond the traditional prayer before meals. Invite your unsaved family and friends over to your house and tell them that your gift to them will last till eternity then share the Gospel with them. Again, I can go endless here in my suggestions.
If you will do it differently than the world does it, then I can accept your reason for celebrating this day with the rest of the world.
The only answer I can accept here is the first one … because it is the birthday of Jesus. Yet, even this is not a Biblical answer. I can go endless proving to all of you that December 25 is not Jesus’ birthday. However, that is not my point here. My point is to help you check your motives on why you celebrate Christmas.
Romans 12:2 says … Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Christmas is a worldly tradition, and if we are instructed by the Bible not to conform any longer to the pattern of this world, then we should not be celebrating Christmas the way the world does. Before I got reborn, the best time of the year for me was Christmas. Why? Here are the reasons why … because it was the colder season (I come from a tropical country); because it was a break from the regular routine; because it was time with family; because it was time for buying presents for others; because it was time to receive presents (I will admit that I enjoyed the receiving part better); because it was a time when people seemed nicer and happier; because I had a good excuse to buy myself presents; because I got to decorate my house with my nice Christmas tree and decors. It was a good feeling. And back in those days, I rarely had those good feelings. So really, I had good reasons, right? I don’t think there was anything wrong with the way I celebrated or enjoyed Christmas.
This is exactly my point. If we look at the world from the angle of crime, war, drugs, and violence, then we see it as bad. Yet if we look at it from the angle of happy people, we don’t see anything wrong with it. We see two men or two women in a relationship and because they are harmless and happy, we don’t see their relationship for what it is … HOMOSEXUALITY which is a SIN. The devil has created his own standard of what is “good” so as to deceive people.
When God said in His Word to NOT CONFORM TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD, He was not just referring to the obviously bad things. He was referring to everything that is not aligned to His Word. Christmas is not in His Word. The nativity and birth of Christ is, but again, December 25 is not even Jesus’ birthday.
I am not being a “Scrooge” here. I just want to set things right, not based on what I think is right, but what the Bible says is right. If we are to celebrate Jesus’ birthday, then we might as well celebrate it everyday. Being a part of God’s family … being reborn … praising Jesus for sending His Son to this world … these are more than enough reasons to celebrate JESUS everyday, and not just on what we call His birthday.
I am not imposing to you what you should or not do during Christmas. It is your own personal conviction and it is between you and God. However, if you choose to celebrate it as the world does, better be sure that you use this day or season as an opportunity to reach the lost to Christ … an opportunity to preach the Gospel.
I am not just talking here of being nice to people or giving gifts to them or feeding the hungry or visiting orphanages or saying Merry Christmas to others. The world is doing this as well. Besides, we are required to do this all the time and not just during Christmas.
Reaching the lost to Christ and preaching the Gospel during this season is using this time as the jumping board to explaining to others what the birth of Christ really means … that Jesus’ birth was long prophesied from the time of creation … that Jesus’ birth fulfills the promise of God … that Jesus’ birth is God’s gift of eternal life to those who believe in Him and receive Him … that Jesus’ birth is the epitome of God’s love. I can go on and on here …
My Jesus … our Jesus is more than just some pagan Christmas tradition. For us to box Him in this tradition is an insult to who He really is.
I challenge you to take this season to a higher level in Jesus. Do something different for Christ this season. Go out in the streets on Christmas day and carry a sign that says JESUS LOVES YOU. If you’re feeding the hungry, give them a note that says JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE. If you are sending cards, make a personalized one and include a Scripture about Jesus such as John 3:16. During Christmas dinner, pray beyond the traditional prayer before meals. Invite your unsaved family and friends over to your house and tell them that your gift to them will last till eternity then share the Gospel with them. Again, I can go endless here in my suggestions.
If you will do it differently than the world does it, then I can accept your reason for celebrating this day with the rest of the world.
Lisa Maki is the founder, publisher, and editor of God'z Gurlz. More about Lisa at ...
http://www.godzgurlz.com/regular-contributors.html
http://www.godzgurlz.com/regular-contributors.html
