True Substance of Christmas

In a previous post (“Light in the Darkness” 12/15/2014) I spoke of greatly enjoying the activity of going around and looking at Christmas lights in the yards of many homes here in town. A particular home has truly caught my attention. What caught my eye was what happens during the daytime when the power has been turned off. This particular home has several inflatable Christmas decorations. As you drive by this house at night you'll see a beautiful display of the inflatable characters of a snowman, Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Charlie Brown. There in the center of the yard surrounded by these characters is a beautiful, lighted nativity set. During the day the inflatable characters are nothing but fabrics lying on the ground. What is still standing in the daylight is the beautiful nativity.

I began to think about Christmas in general. We celebrate with gift giving, setting up decorations, preparing food and getting together with friends. All of these are nice traditions. But like the inflatables, in and of themselves they are not the true reason that we celebrate Christmas. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. This birth is the only true reason for celebration. We can have a lot of things in our lives that are pretty but not essential. There isn't anything wrong with having these. What we must keep at the center of our lives is the truth that is our salvation. Our relationship with Jesus Christ goes beyond anything else that we have. It must remain the foundation on which to celebrate and live life.

At just the right moment, when God knew how great the need of mankind was for a savior, He sent His son to be born as a baby in that stable in Bethlehem. “But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law, to purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to atone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God's sons].” (Galatians 4:4-5 AMP) Whether we have the correct dates or if it was a stable or cave or any other detail is irrelevant. What is true and what is solid is that God sent His only Son into the world to live among us and then died on the penalty for our sin. Through Him we have become children of God.

 In every area of our lives there is a solid truth to stand on and then there are other things around the periphery. There can be many different and fun things in our lives that are not crucial to our spirit. These things can be pleasant and God enjoys watching his children have a good time. These peripheral activities of our lives only become a problem when we begin to treat them as if they are a necessity. If we begin to view the extras as being bigger than life and more important than God, we begin to get in trouble. Everything must be kept in its proper place. That proper order has Jesus at the center and most prominent place.

When everything is set up at night the inflatable characters are actually larger than the nativity itself. It is only by the true light of day and the absence of the electricity that powers the motorized fans that reality is seen. These larger-than-life characters now lie flat and shapeless on the ground. They are unrecognizable in this state. The nativity scene alone is visible and easily recognizable. Likewise in our lives both enjoyable activities and negative circumstances can seem to loom larger than God. But when the light of truth shines, the reality of the spiritual realm becomes apparent. “For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah).” (2 Corinthians 4:6 AMP) God’s love and power are true. Our need for Him is overwhelming. And all other things fade away in comparison to Him.

 In the light of truth, what do people see in our lives? Is Jesus still evident when everything else has lost its shape? Is it His character in us that stands visible to those who pass by? 

Don’t let the inflatable things in your life take precedence over the reality of Jesus Christ our Savior. Rely on Him each and every day of your life.