Some Christmas thoughts

I'm sure you've seen the news reports. People complaining about certain retail stores posting "Happy Holidays" messages, and front door greeters expressing "Holiday" wishes. Sure, it bothers me too that Christ is being left out of Christmas, but I think Christians are fighting the wrong battles. Christmas doesn't belong in a retail store anyway.

Christmas belongs in our homes.

What we should be trying to change are the minds of those people who read "The Night Before Christmas" to their children instead of Luke Chapter 2, on Christmas Eve.

We should be trying to change people that teach their children about Santa Claus, but don't teach their children about the birth of Jesus.

We should be changing the hearts of people who sing "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer," while forgetting to sing the praises of our Lord in hymns like "God rest ye merry, gentlemen" or "Silent night".

What we should be trying to change are people who pride themselves on all the gifts they purchased for their friends and family, but fail to share with their loved ones the greatest gift ever given to humanity by our Lord Jesus Christ. When you give your gifts this year, tell the people you love that your gift is in rememberance of the gifts of God. Of the gift of His only begotten Son.

We are so blessed to live at a time and in a nation where we can worship freely and openly. We should remember that so many of our Christmas traditions were adopted by Christians who were desperate to hide the fact that they were celebrating the birth of our Lord, under fear of death. I will gladly display a Christmas tree, and decorate it with tinsel and lights, and remember those brave people who found a way worship the Lord even in times of persecution.

And I will remember that the Lord himself was humble enough to come into the world as a helpless infant, that we could learn from his example. That God loved us enough to sacrifice His only begotten Son, that we may be forgiven of our sins, that we will be ressurrected, and that if we choose to, we can live with Him again someday.

Merry Christmas.