“One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike [sacred]. Let everyone be fully convinced (satisfied) in his own mind.” Rom 14:5 (Amplified)
In the Western world, rightly or wrongly, it seems as if everything we do is linked to Christmas. As a Christian, this is a wonderful phenomenon in that people still have the opportunity to at least acknowledge the person of Jesus Christ even if they do not acknowledge His Lordship over their lives. However you look at it, Christmas as originally defined still means the celebration of Jesus Christ and the fact that we have set aside one day to celebrate the birth of the man around whom human history revolves is certainly a good thing. But where does that leave the people who on the basis of principles choose not to celebrate Christmas or who do so in a way that most people are not accustomed to or would not approve of?
All are agreed that the concept of Christmas is a good thing. I concur that it is a brilliant concept, since it is an opportunity to highlight the why and what of Jesus’ life. It is the same reason why people now specify days to celebrate important things like Mothers’ day, Fathers’ day, Valentine’s Day and many more. One thing that you will quickly note is that while we can celebrate Fathers’ or Mothers’ day, it does not necessarily imply that we cease to be parents for the rest of the year. It just highlights the fact that we have been parenting well throughout the year and that we need to be appreciated for our efforts by our children who benefit from our daily sacrifices on their behalf. The fact that we celebrate Valentine’s Day is just to show how special our spouses are to us. They are not special just for one day but throughout the year.
In the same vein, Christmas is the celebration of Jesus Christ – His person, accomplishments and the manifold blessings that He is to us. It would be a great shame to restrict the acknowledgment of His Lordship over our lives to just one day, when He is available to us 24/7 and all the 365 and one quarter days of the year. In essence, Christmas is an everyday occurrence to the Christian. The spirit of goodwill that is the hall mark of Christmas is a recognised virtue of the Christian life and should thus be demonstrated everyday to people we come in contact with. Love is an everyday thing and should therefore not be restricted to certain times of the year. Christmas means love.
So, if in line with our anchor passage you choose to celebrate Christmas everyday (and you should, for that is the essence of Christianity) and in essence refuse to mark the designated Christmas in a special way, you are well within your right. You can treat each day as you like it so far it brings glory to God. 1 Cor 6:20 If on the other hand marking Christmas is a big do for you, then go on and enjoy yourself, provided you don’t overindulge and everything you do glorifies God. The most important thing is to not forget why you are celebrating Christmas and to keep in mind the fact that Jesus Christ is not just for Christmas. He should be worshipped and adored throughout the year. Live everyday as if Jesus was born and died on that day and allow His power to so suffuse your life such that when Christmas finally comes round, it becomes icing on your cake of blessings that He undoubtedly has been conferring on your life. In conclusion, it is not the day that matters, but the Person – Jesus the Anointed One. Is He real to you?
Prayer:
Lord, your word says in Gal 3:13 that you have been made a curse for me so that the blessings of Abraham can indeed become mine. I need to make that a reality in my life throughout the year. Let Christmas be an everyday thing for me so that your name can truly be glorified in and through me. Amen.