We live in a world running fast toward death and hell! That same world is also bent on interfering/eliminating the name of Christ from being seen, spoken or heard by any and all who’d likely be influenced by the knowledge of His birth, and therefore the radical life-changing power of His resurrected life.

The proof of that is clearly evidenced almost everywhere you go, from what we watch on television or listen to on secular radio. The Christ of Christmas is missing.

As Christ-followers we should hardly be surprised. We too were once in and of the world and could care less about Jesus born, crucified, buried, raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for our collective good.

So the challenge to all of us is really quite simple. Keep Christ in OUR Christmas! Make Jesus the main thing! Not Santa or any earthly traditions, but Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Period! We need to put compromise behind us and unashamedly proclaim the Savior’s birth!
How do we do this? Well, two ways that immediately come to my mind are:

One: we don’t do it at anyone else’s expense. Meaning we do not need to whine or complain about the fact that people of the world won’t say Merry Christmas.

Two: we don’t get lost in the commercialization of this profoundly secularized time of year. Meaning we tell the truth to our kids and grandkids about the Who, What and Why of CHRISTmas!

In other words, we celebrate Jesus in profound and meaningful ways. One of the ways this has been done traditionally is in Advent.
Advent defined means: coming arrival, appearance. You can discover more about it at: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent

Dear ones, let’s pray and ask God how we can resist the pull of the culture to minimize His first coming. Let’s ask for creative and meaningful ways to share Him within our families and to the strangers He will put in our path for the specific purpose of sharing the light of Christmas, which shines bright in and through each one of us. Let’s do so for the glory of the Lord!

“He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” ~~Isaiah 53:3-6

Stephanie Paul

Stephanie Paul, wife and mother of two grown children. An “instrument of change” in the Redeemer’s Hand, in the lives of wounded and hurting women. Currently serving as a part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Woman of Character Program Director.