Christmas is a season of joy, celebration, thanksgiving, and fond memories. Now that Christmas is over and all of the wonderful decorations are starting to come down, I have intentionally spent some time reflecting on the last few weeks. As I have done so I’ve become more aware of just how much Christmas has become a holiday associated with celebrating God’s blessings, and rightly so. It is indeed a season of great joy and celebration. As I process it more, though, I have realized that if we solely focus on joy and blessing during the holidays that it can subtly skew and almost overshadow the fullness of the Christmas message. You see, Christmas is not just a time for people who have been blessed and enjoyed a good year. It isn’t a time for only the perfect family to enjoy. It isn’t solely for the person who has everything. The message of Christmas is for those who are downcast, depressed, abandoned and lonely. It’s for people who are barely making it through each day. It’s for those who have been kicked while already down. The message of Christmas is for the dirty, poor, hurting, rejected, and for those who are grieving. In other words, Christmas is for all of us.
Perhaps over Christmas you did not have the luxury of celebrating with such joy. Instead you entered into the holiday season with real hurt and pain. The beauty of all the Christmas lights was overshadowed by the darkness of your pain. May I gently offer a reminder that Christ, who became God among us, did not come simply to offer you nostalgic Christmas memories of joyous times with family and friends. Rather He came with a far greater purpose in mind. He came that you might receive healing for your wounded heart. He came to fulfill your deepest longings. He came to offer you hope. He came to save you from the darkness of sin. He came to ultimately bring restoration between you and God. He came to be your Savior. Let us remember Christ’s words when He said, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness” (John 12:46).
