The Reason for the Season

Around Christmas time, we all seem to focus on the presents we will receive. We spend days browsing catalogs and ogling at storefront windows to create the perfect Christmas wish list of all the things we want. What we seem to forget is why we get these things.
With Christmas comes a season of giving.

As per the typical Christmas Eve routine, we headed to church with the family last night. And sticking with tradition, we are told something relevant to Christmas, whether that be the Christmas story, Jesus’s lineage, or a major worldly celebration of the holiday. Last night hit me a little differently; it was the first Christmas service that really hit home. We talked about giving. We watched this video, and I think it describes perfectly why it is the giving that is important.




I also found this video on Facebook several days ago, and like the last, I couldn't help but tear up.



Now you may be laughing at me, “why on earth did these make her tear up?” and it’s not because these videos are sad. It’s simply because they are so moving. It’s amazing to me how powerful giving to others can be and expecting nothing in return.

Giving: /giv/ verb freely transfer the possession of (something) to (someone)

**key word: freely
As in: neither getting nor expecting anything in return.

“Remember the reason for the season” sticks as a typical holiday reminder – but who knew how prevalent this reason was.

What God gave us (as in the collective body of the people of the earth) was this:

“But the angel said to them, ‘do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David has a savior been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.’” Luke 2:10-11 (part of the Christmas story)

“For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (The gift)

And here’s the kicker.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

In order to explain first, we need a few definitions, but I’ll keep them basic.
Wage: something you earn.
Sin: any wrongdoing or misstep in human error that causes us to be imperfect, unlike God, and away from Him,
Death: physically from this earth, we will all die. Beyond that, there is a spiritual death. In this sense, death is separation from God.
Gift: something we are freely given, we owe nothing in return.
Life: opposite of death, being with God forever.
Jesus Christ: God’s one and only son who was sent to forgive and save all of mankind for his.

In short, we earn death or this separation from God. BUT. God sent Jesus Christ as a gift (that we need not repay) and when we transfer our trust to God, we are given forgiveness and eternal life.
Because God sent his one and only son as a gift, we shall not be condemned to hell but are saved in Christ and we get to spend our life forever with Him.

This act of giving that comes with the Christmas season is not to spoil children or spend money on those we love or any other reason but this: we give to serve as a reminder of what God gave us: the gift of eternal life in Christ.

Now if that doesn't just amp up your holiday spirit, I don’t know what will!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.