I remember reading a “Moody Monthly” article back in the 1980s. It was the story of a family in need. The father was laid off his job right after Thanksgiving. Christmas was going to be modest, to say the least. There were a few small gifts and an envelope or two under the tree. On Christmas Day, after opening their gifts, one of the children found another sealed envelope. It contained a sizable check that someone had sent them for Christmas. Thinking it had been placed under the tree, the mother had mistakenly slid it under the tree skirt. The check could have made their Christmas even more meaningful, but it had been lost in the trappings of Christmas.
All the things that demand our time during the Christmas season are not bad. They are like the wrappings and decorations. Beautiful and they serve a purpose. But sometimes, we can lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas because it gets lost in our business.
It usually begins right after Halloween. The decorations appear in the stores. The advertisements remind you that there are only so many shopping days left. Then come the trees, the music, the shopping, the baking, the parties, the parades, the traffic, and the traveling. You hear the ring of the Salvation Army brigade. Out come the exam schedule for schools, play practices, choir rehearsals, church programs, and more. These are the trappings that can crowd out the true meaning of Christmas. We must intentionally set aside time each day to reflect, alone and with our loved ones, on the Reason for the season.
We can recapture the true spirit of Christmas as the body of Christ and individual disciples. IT is much more than family gatherings, the scent of evergreen, the sound of carols and the flickering of candles. The true spirit of Christmas is a spirit of self-lessness. A shining example is a young virgin named Mary, who was taken aback by the appearance of the angel, Gabriel. What he told Mary seemed improbable, implausible, and impossible. When the angel described how God would make her the mother of the Messiah, her simple response was, “Behold, the slave of the LORD; may it be done to me according to Your word. Her selflessness and faith moved her to abandon her will, her reputation, and the man to whom she was betrothed to submit to the will of God. This Christmas and every day, may we be disciplined to pray daily, “Not my will, but Your Will be done in my life. And do not let the pressure of the holidays dampen your spirit of humility and selflessness.
