As the whirlwind
of the Christmas season starts to die down, the Christmas aftermath begins with
the packing away of all the decorations and trimmings we love to proudly display
around our houses. As we start to settle down and think about the coming of the
New Year, we should take some time to reflect on the true meaning of it all. We
have just finished celebrating the birth of Christ by decorating our houses
inside and out, giving gifts, sing songs, making special foods and many other traditions
which have become popular over the years. But what is the real story?
Most of us
are familiar with the story told in the bible about the time leading up to the
birth of Jesus and even though there is some debate as to when Christ was
actually born, we choose to do our celebrating in the month of December on the
25th. But is that all there is? We celebrate for a few days or a
couple of weeks and then forget all about it until next year, just as we do with
Santa Claus! We know Jesus was born in a stable with the animals, so it’s that
image we show the world by creating a nativity scene or crèche to tell the
story, which is a nice beginning, but the story doesn’t end there, we need to
take Jesus out of the manger and put Him back in the world during the new year!
Jesus came
to earth as an infant, grew to be a man, lived with us for 33 years teaching
and setting an example of what God wanted from us as His creations! His legacy
is not something that can be put away at the end of a season and forgotten, but
something that should continue with us all year long! This amazing being was
born to earthly parents and lived an earthly life with trials and tribulations,
spent all his time ministering and healing others and then as the ultimate
sacrifice gave His life for our freedom and redemption! He rose on the third day, walking among us again before ascending to Heaven to be crowned King! How can we stuff Him in a closet along with Santa Claus, sleds, reindeer, the tree and snowmen? He is alive and while we wait for His return we need
to bring Him out with us in our daily lives, showing Him to the people
around us in all we do and say, not hiding him as though we are ashamed to be
associated with him!
Christ is
not someone we only worship on Sundays or on special Holidays; He’s someone who
deserves our attention every hour of every day! When we say we’ve changed, we
are a new creation; it should be evident to the outside world as well as to
God. The idea of being made new in Christ is not only that He redeemed us from
our sins or that God has forgiven and forgotten them, but that now we want to
be like Him, forgiving, helpful, kind and loving! We don’t have to be the “in
your face” kind of disciples that have previously turned people off to
Christianity, if given the chance to share do it with grace and humility!
You can be
different by doing simple little things, like letting someone get in front of you
in line at the store, letting another car make a turn on a busy street, a
smile, a thank you when someone holds the door for you or you can hold the door
for another, etc. Just being polite and considerate to the people in your
everyday life, shows that you are different, the idea is that when others look
at you they will see a reflection of Christ! Let’s learn to be bold, Christ
was a man who lived and died for us, we should be willing to do the same for
Him!
