Philippians 3:12 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
Honestly speaking, the Christmas season is not an easy time for any follower of Jesus Christ to remain strong, pure, and fresh spiritually. The problem is not with God or the idea of celebrating Christmas. The difficulty is with Christ-followers trying to do too many things at the same time. To keep proper priorities even during this season of shopping, partying, reunions, and the like is a challenge. But it must be done because we love and honor God above every thing and every person. Thankfully, our enjoyment of the Christmas season is not dependent on how much shopping we do, how many parties we attend, how many reunions we go to, or how much malling we do. The quality and fun of this time of the year is not diminished when we choose to cut down on some of our activities so that we can continue to give attention to some non-negotiables in our lives. On the contrary, we truly enjoy the celebrations when we always keep in mind that Jesus Christ is the reason and star of Christmas. When we pursue activities that bring us closer to Christ, we are releasing the true meaning, joy, and blessing of Christmas to ourselves, to our families, and to those around us. Don’t let the TV or social media advertising fool you. Many of us have lived long enough to know from experience that quality, not quantity, of activities is the primary factor that determines enjoyment of the Christmas season. So let’s go out and enjoy. Let’s socialize, go to parties, give and receive gifts, and the like. But let us not compromise on the basic Christian lifestyle which is non-negotiable. As we always eat or drink something, take a bath, brush our teeth, etc every day even though it is Christmas season, so let us spend time reading God’s Word, praying, and worshipping the Lord before we leave our homes even though it is Christmas season. Those who do these things are truly blessed! Before I end, I want to remind you not to miss our special Christmas Sunday worship celebrations this December 25. Please take note of our special schedule that is very family-friendly since next Sunday is Christmas day. We will not have the usual 8:00- 9:45 AM and 5:00- 7:00 PM services. But we will have the 10AM- 12 NN service as well as a special 3:00- 5:00 PM service. That way, we are all available at lunch time and dinner time for our special meals with family and friends. God’s rich blessings on you and your family this season! Lathur Badoy