Celebrating Christmas has definitely gone through some pretty extreme pendulum swings in my life. I remember being young and swept up in the magic and wonder of Christmas, blindly following tradition without any understanding of what we were really celebrating and only being concerned with presents.
I remember learning what it was supposed to be about, and being disgusted by the commercialism and chaos that overshadowed the Heart of the season.
I remember seasons of mocking it as a non-believer and being genuinely mad and hurt and disappointed that so many people seemed genuinely happy celebrating a made-up holiday.
I remember also loathing hypocritical Christians that would basically put themselves into debt to spoil themselves and their families instead of putting any of that money or effort towards people in need (as if I knew anything about their finances or whether they were serving anyone but themselves any other time of the year).
Throughout the various stages of my belief, a constant for me was always been dreading the obligation of gathering with family and friends to celebrate Christmas because of the realization that so many of those gathered were pretending. I felt that everyone would pretend everything was perfect and fine for just a few hours before they got back in the car and continued fighting or went out after giving holy lip service and immediately flipping worship off like a light switch and refocusing right back on the worldly social checklist.
I just dreaded the fake that comes with the ‘fa la la’s I guess…
At this point in my life, I am a believer and I am thankful to have the freedom to celebrate Christmas -but I’m also thankful to have freedom from the things that kept me from truly celebrating over the years:
My focus on presents (mine or those I was giving) instead of His presence, or being genuinely present when gathered with others.
My focus on the way that others celebrated or focused on instead of what I was focusing on or what I was celebrating.
My focus on how others weren’t serving instead of my own acts of service.
My focus on what others were doing and getting instead of simply focusing on others at all -not to compare or judge, but simply to see and seek out and to love.
My focus on me and assuming that others were misguided or faking their joy or worship because I was projecting my own situation.
The freedom came with refocusing on Jesus instead of myself or others. Understanding why God sent His only Son to save us all and the love that motivated it and the grace that allows our salvation -basically going from ‘knowing the story’ to ‘knowing Jesus’ completely changed everything for me.
There is wonder and magic to Christmas, there is a calm in knowing that the greatest Gift has already been given to all, there is peace when the focus comes back to the Word instead of the world, and there is joy when I seek His presence and find the countless ways God has revealed Himself throughout all of those seasons.
Wherever you are in pendulum swing of celebrating Christmas, I pray that you will stop amidst the chaos and commercials and commotion and emotions and obligations and traditions and politics and gatherings and just ….. stop.
Breathe.
Remember what it is we’re celebrating. Ask yourself if you’re celebrating Jesus and if not, why not? What are you seeking and what is stealing your focus? Are you judging the joy of other believers because you just can’t get past your own doubts or questions? Are you caught in a comparison trap?
Set all of that down and get caught in compassion by refocusing on Jesus.
Ask God to bring you peace and clarity and put in some effort to seek Jesus as the wise men did. I pray this season you take steps to deeper joy and freedom and peace and that you go from ‘knowing about’ Jesus to ‘knowing’ Jesus because it truly changes everything. Merry Christmas.
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