Not Another Christmas Post

I'm standing next to a man in a red suit, with a white beard. (A real beard by the way)

Guilty by association of celebrating a pagan holiday. Don't worry though, this is just going to be another post about Christmas.

Let me start to explain......

At points in my brief Christian life I have questioned everything I do and everything I partake in. Christmas really unnerved me at one time because of how people tend to view it. The total idolized,selfish, misuse of a day during December with pagen roots,reeking of Catholicism, now so Americanized with a millennial, media make over.

Ugh.

Remember "The Christmas Carol" By Charles Dickens?

How about the movie "It's a Wonderful Life?"

Those are two primary examples of remembering in the correct context the mere idea of "giving" minus selfish materialism, without consumer filled brain washing.

You have to admit there's something about winter that encourages giving, with it's cold, long, dark. People become sick more often, there are heating bills, extra needs of clothing and the feeling of isolation due to shortened days and bad weather. There's nothing ungodly about dedicating a specific day of giving, helping or being social. It has only been in the past sixty or so years that America has decided to exonerate, and glorify December 25 to the point of idol worship.

It isn’t wrong to have a fern in my home (which I do) However having a fir tree, imitation or authentic, is considered by some to be biblically incorrect, yet only during the month December.

Now, I'm not going to launch a revolutionary movement to overthrow the observance of Christmas with all its "me "glorification, with it's Pharisee like promoting tune of "look what I did for someone else." But I am going to call for some reasonable thinking by those believers who vehemently object to their brothers and sisters in Christ enjoying seasonal festivities....at all.

FIRST, let us concede that Christians do not have to celebrate or even acknowledge Christmas…or Easter, Pentecost,  Valentine's day,Thanksgiving or the Sabbath.

Romans 14-4-6“Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.”

Christians are not obligated to hold higher any day above another , even birthdays. Alright that's a little extreme I know but remember Puritans and even Mormans do not party. (Usually)

However it must be acknowledged that Christians are free to esteem one day better than another if they are convinced in their own mind, through prayerful, sanctification and conviction. I am convinced in my own mind that Christmas can be celebrated as enjoyable time of family traditions with parties and the gift giving. You need not be convinced just please do not think to equate my liking of lights,evergreens and red bows with pagan idolatry. Jeremiah 10:3-4  isn't referring to Christmas trees, but hand-crafted idols, hewn for the express purpose of worshipping as a god.

I love Jesus. I worship Him and I give him ALL glory for each gift I receive or am able to give, and I am thankful for remembering seasons that have me contemplate various aspects of his life, birth, death, resurrection, and ascension. I do not worship mythical fir trees nor do I feed subliminal pagan doctrine to my children through the metallic decorations I drape on it.  We DO not encourage the lie of Santa Claus, we don't encourage lying at all. Yes, there is much of Christmas stuff that should be shunned—greed, materialism, shallowness (I Peter 2:16 )

There's so much of the yuletide spirit that is neither godly nor ungodly. Celebrate it or ignore it, that is your liberty in Christ. If I judge or look down on the abstained then I am missing the point of a liberty to forgo celebrations of any kind. Listen if you can't manage to keep the celebration of Christmas a godly matter in your heart than by all means don't partake. But do not feel as though you may be committing a sin against God by holding to a celebration in a right and godly manner.

With that said; I will bake some seasonal cookies, turn on some holiday music, drape my house in some extra greenery. We will pack boxes for the hungry, sing at a nursing home and give some "needed gifts. I will not question my alliance to this World because I am purposely doing this for the glorification of Christ, in His name.

Peace and Joy to you.