Lord Jesus,
I really enjoy this time of year. At church, we have special programs and parties. We sing Christmas carols and hymns. We put energy into special gatherings and decorating our homes. We bake cookies and prepare special meals. We make or buy gifts for others, all in the name of celebrating Your birth.
Yet I have to wonder. Is this the way You want us to celebrate Your birth?
You who were born in humility and were clothed in strips of cloth and laid in a manger as your first bed, does this honor Your humble origins? Would it be better to spend our energy and effort to encourage the lonely, take care of the orphans, or lift the poor out of their distress?
Lord, does my celebration of Christmas point others to You or does it draw attention to me and my desires? Does it point others to You or do people only see the trappings and miss the real meaning?
Am I feeding the greed and gluttony of our society with my gifts? Are we teaching our children that Christmas is about presents, decorations, and parties rather than about You?
Lord, shouldn't my Christmas celebration look different from the way the unbelieving culture celebrates? After all, I really believe You came and that Your coming made it possible for everyone to know You in a personal way.
Lord, during this Christmas, make me more like the shepherds who could not contain their joy in telling others what they knew of You. Make me more like Mary who was humbled and rejoicing that she was chosen, even though it cost her. As Simeon waited expectantly for the fulfillment of Your promise, help me to eagerly wait for the fulfillment of all Your promises to me. But most of all, Lord, make me more like Jesus who left everything to do Your will.
In His precious name, I ask these things.
Amen.
Photo by Lucien Andrei on Unsplash
I really enjoy this time of year. At church, we have special programs and parties. We sing Christmas carols and hymns. We put energy into special gatherings and decorating our homes. We bake cookies and prepare special meals. We make or buy gifts for others, all in the name of celebrating Your birth.
Yet I have to wonder. Is this the way You want us to celebrate Your birth?
You who were born in humility and were clothed in strips of cloth and laid in a manger as your first bed, does this honor Your humble origins? Would it be better to spend our energy and effort to encourage the lonely, take care of the orphans, or lift the poor out of their distress?
Lord, does my celebration of Christmas point others to You or does it draw attention to me and my desires? Does it point others to You or do people only see the trappings and miss the real meaning?Am I feeding the greed and gluttony of our society with my gifts? Are we teaching our children that Christmas is about presents, decorations, and parties rather than about You?
Lord, shouldn't my Christmas celebration look different from the way the unbelieving culture celebrates? After all, I really believe You came and that Your coming made it possible for everyone to know You in a personal way.
Lord, during this Christmas, make me more like the shepherds who could not contain their joy in telling others what they knew of You. Make me more like Mary who was humbled and rejoicing that she was chosen, even though it cost her. As Simeon waited expectantly for the fulfillment of Your promise, help me to eagerly wait for the fulfillment of all Your promises to me. But most of all, Lord, make me more like Jesus who left everything to do Your will.
In His precious name, I ask these things.
Amen.
Photo by Lucien Andrei on Unsplash
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