By Pastor Tim LaVere
Faith Alive Church
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St. Helen- There is a very good reason why you’re reading this article today. It is because someone showed love to my family when I lost my job several years ago just prior to the holiday season. A local church brought us a food basket to help us out.
That simple act of kindness was a turning point in our lives. We felt the love of Christ, and were compelled to once again return to the faith we had wandered from for a time.
Years later, I entered the ministry–all because someone chose to honor the Christ of Christmas.
So every year right around Thanksgiving, I wait for it. It might show up on Facebook, in a conversation at church, or even overheard at the grocery store. Inevitably, when the
Christmas season comes around, someone will be the first to complain about how Jesus
Christ has been taken out of Christmas.
We are angered when cashiers wish us ‘Happy Holidays’ instead of ‘Merry Christmas.’
The politically correct have holiday parties and decorate holiday trees. And so we complain … loudly.
The problem, of course, is that complaining doesn’t change much. The question we might
want to ask ourselves instead is this: What are we doing to put Christ in Christmas?
If we are truly intent on celebrating His birth, what practical steps can we take?
Fortunately, the answer to that question is found in the nativity story.
In Luke Chapter 2, the Bible records the wonderful story of the appearance of angels to shepherds on the hillside, announcing the birth of the Savior. The shepherds made the trek to the manger, where they witnessed the Christ child.
Then scripture tells us, ‘When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what
had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the
shepherds said to them’ (Luke 2:17-18, NIV).
The answer to putting Christ in our Christmas is so clear! Like the shepherds of old, is
becomes our responsibility to shout with joy and happiness, ‘Jesus has come!’ For you
and I, that could mean showing His love in practical ways. What about volunteering for a
local charity, visiting a shut-in, or inviting someone to Christmas dinner? In short, it’ about taking action to show love to someone else, without asking for, or expecting anything else in return.
Oh, but there is a payoff. Just as the people who heard the shepherd’ story were amazed, those whom we serve with love this Christmas will truly experience what it means to know the love of the one whose birth we celebrate. That is how we put Christ in our Christmas celebration.
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