'Tis the Season...?

'Tis the season...
What does the season mean to you?

To some, it's a warm, fuzzy, memory-filled season where we stop and think about our family and friends and count our blessings.

To others, it's a dreadful time filled with hours of long lines, bargain-hunting, miles of wishlists, and scary credit card statements.

Yet, still to others, it is a time to remember that God Himself came in the form of human flesh to our sin-ravaged earth-- experiencing what we experience, feeling what we feel, doing what we do. It is a time to celebrate the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ-- who in 33 short years, would hang on a Roman cross, suffering death to pay for all of my sin, all of yours.

What better Christmas present can there be than God incarnate, come to save us from eternal damnation and separation from God?

It is true that the holiday of Christmas is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, and to my knowledge is also true that it originated as a pagan holiday in ancient Rome-- the celebration of the winter solstice, the worship of the Babylonian relgious figures. But that does not negate in any way the benefit and blessing of celebrating the birth of our Savior and remembering and being thankful for what He has done.

I think knowing the background of the holiday helps us not to be so uptight about it being so commercialized, so focused on the secular icons of Santa Claus and his reindeer-- It started out pagan, and is pagan once more.

But as Christians, let us not get caught up in the pagan practices of our godless society and forget why we even celebrate this holiday. It's easy to get caught up in gift giving and gift getting, in how we wrap our presents and decorate our houses-- but may we not forget the "reason for the season" (if only to us), Jesus Christ. And may we use it as the awesome witnessing tool it is to share with the lost God's love, and invite them to know the Savior as well!

Merry Christmas!

God bless.