Christmas, The Reason for the Season

                                     Christmas, The Reason For The Season

What a beautiful sight as the snow falls on all the brightly lighted homes, people rushing from store to store looking for that perfect gift that will bring joy to their loved one.  The bell ringers collecting for the less fortunate and  you witness a amazing thing, that almost every person stops and places money in the kettle.  Generally everyone you pass says how are you today and have a great day.  There is a undeniable peace even amongst all the hustle and bustle. 

Peace…….what a wonderful Blessing that is.  A world where the citizens of earth begin to focus on their fellow human beings and take their minds off themselves.  When you were a child your parents asked you to write out your Christmas list and you usually wrote down every item you had seen advertised.  On Christmas morning you were so excited as you tore open every gift as fast as possible.  By late afternoon the excitement had begun to wear off and you seemed to become somewhat depressed.  All the weeks of anticipation had quickly flown by and you had every wish fulfilled, but there was something missing.  As you peered beneath the tree and thanked Santa for bringing you everything you wanted you wonder why do I feel like I need something more?

A Blessed nation and a Blessed people.  A people who mostly don’t know what it’s like to be without.   We sit down with our relatives and friends and feast on a wonderful array of food.  Most even take a moment to offer a prayer of grace to God for the Blessing of family and everything the season has to offer. 

You know that 2,000 years ago God came to earth and spent thirty three years with us.  He gave up thirty three years of Christmas in Heaven.  He never had any presents under a tree, his birth when the wiseman brought him gifts were probably the gifts he ever received.  He never walked up in front of his home and looked at all the lights and trim.  I’m sure his meals were very meager compared to the Christmas layouts we have.  Jesus had made everything there was and would ever be, but he knew that joy and peace don’t dwell in the presents, the lights and trimmings or the terrific food. 

Jesus was a selfless, loving and caring man.  He loved people and Jesus lived and breathed gifts to every person he met.  He gave the blind man the gift of sight, the woman at the well the gift of total forgiveness, the crippled the ability to walk, Lazarus the breath of life back in his lifeless body, to his disciples the power to change the world.  Jesus realized that it was far more important to give than to receive and even though he walked this earth with the most meager of earthly treasures I’m certain he never once experienced that child or adults emptiness as the last gift was opened, the food had been eaten and the family left on their way back home. Jesus knew the meaning of giving was exactly what our Heavenly Father envisioned for each of us.  The joy and gratitude you would see on a homeless person’s face when you placed some money in his hand or gave him a warm coat and blanket.  Christmas stirs these emotions within each one of us and regardless of our beliefs God has instilled in each of us the inner feeling of peace and joy when you make someone else’s life better.

God knew millions of years ago that Christmas would represent to humanity the greatest gift that mankind would ever receive.  God’s love for each one of us continues daily to inspire us to be better people, something he instilled within us to reach out to one another when we are in need and looking for a helping hand.

When you wake up this Christmas morning take a moment and thank God for that warm bed you just got out of, that wonderful smell of coffee and bacon coming from the kitchen, the Blessing of having a job allowing you to place all those gifts under your tree  and most importantly the gift of family and each one’s health.

Our God is a good God and he’s good all the time.  You know what you could give God for Christmas that would make him so very happy, rememberance and gratitude for his daily provision and giving us Jesus.  Jesus is indeed the reason for the season.  If every American would wake up Christmas morning and take that moment and thank God for everything he has done for you and how he has Blessed you this day I believe eventually your life will be supernaturally transformed into someone who cares about others before himself.

Jesus revealed to the world that a child born in a lowly manger in very humble beginnings could teach by his actions that the importance of life is doing for others and offering yourself as a servant.  That truly is the story of Christmas that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that who so ever believes in him shall never perish. 

Thank you Father for the world’s greatest Christmas gift and thank you Jesus for showing mankind that loving each other is creation’s greatest gift.