This is the first post in a new feature called unHOLY Fridays. Every Friday check out a new post about something un-. This week: UNnecessary.
I can't help but feel like over the holidays we put a load of unnecessary stress upon ourselves: who should I be buying for, what to get for who, when to see them, what parties to go to, who should I write Christmas cards for, when to say no, the family events we "have to" be at without offending the wrong family member, what to say or not say when with them...it's exhausting. And, I'd like to say UNnecessary.
Not that I don't think it's important to be with family and friends at Christmas - I do think it's part of the season. And, Christmas cards and presents can be nice too, but if that's what we're stressing on, we're missing the point. I'll admit, I sit writing cards wondering, "Who did I miss?" Because it's Christmas and I don't want to leave anyone out - but to what extent? Why worry and stress over these things?
Really, I think admit the parties, the presents, the cards, the "events", the worries, we forget about Christmas. I mean, true Christmas.
When we are celebrating the birth of Jesus - the arrival of the Christ to usher in His kingdom - we should actually take time and space to celebrate Christ.
A Christmas Eve service can be a beautiful time of reflection on Christ. So can a family reading of the Nativity story. But it doesn't need to end there. Taking time and space for Christ at Christmas just seems to make sense - it's all about Him.
I'm just as guilty as the next guy, but we should stress more on creating space for Christ at Christmas than we do on presents, parties, and the like.
Isaiah 7:14 says, "The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’)."
Let's make space for God with us - not just during Christmas but always. Let's relax in Him during what has become a busy holiday of stress and Santa. God with us. He is...let's notice Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment