Stop the Christmas madness

My prayer has and continues to be: Lord, overwhelm me with Your Way and Your Word, so that I won’t be overwhelmed by the world. The to do’s, the tasks, the unfinished work. Give me right posture before production. Help me to kneel before I stand, pray before I proceed, walk by the Spirit before I run.

For the first time ever, I’m not sending out Christmas cards. Our wrapping paper doesn’t match. I don’t even know what gifts have been purchased, and there definitely is not the same number of stocking stuffers for each child. It may be mayhem come Christmas morning. I haven’t given any gifts to friends except the gift of my presence. And it’s okay. It’s just not what it’s all about, and my flesh is finally giving in to that realization.

Because we could miss it. We could miss the mystery and wonder of Emmanuel, God with us. And more than unsent cards or unequal presents, not experiencing the true meaning of Christmas would be tragic. But God doesn’t want us to miss it. He came and died so that we can have Christmas – so that we can have Him.

In a year of cancellations, God wants us to know He came and is still coming. And not even the gates of hell, or a late Amazon package, could prevent His arrival.

Christmas is coming, ready or not. Let’s not miss it.

God wants us to focus on the humility of this time. On the fact that we aren’t enough and can never do enough, which is why He came - to be everything we cannot be. A perfect Christmas, as hard as we try, won’t change the fact that only Christ can cleanse us, mend us and bring us joy.

Only Jesus is perfect. He is more than enough.

The commercialization of Christmas tries to cannibalize the incarnation, but we know better. As we eat from God’s Word, we will be filled with freedom. Freedom from performance and trying to pull off the perfect Christmas, that really is a perfect lie.

The gospel is our gift to receive and give to a world aching and groaning in the pain of imperfection.

Let’s not miss it.

This Christmas, may we be stunned, awe-struck, filled with wide-eyed wonder at the mystery of Christ’s birth. The Son of God became the Son of Man to become like us yet without sin, to be with us, suffer with and for us, so that He could die to save and indwell us.

What kind of commitment, covenant and communion is this?

Like the Christ child in Mary’s womb, Jesus tells us to abide in Him - to be known, loved, held, sustained and nourished for eternity. God’s mercy on us is shown through the Messiah. Let us not miss it!

The incarnation is mind-blowing, breathtaking, worship inducing. The invisible God became visible flesh for us. Jesus really is the greatest gift.

So we can stop running around to finish last minute to do’s and be still knowing that Christ has done it all.

By His birth, we are known.

By His wounds, we are healed.

By His death, we are crucified.

By His resurrection, we are raised to walk in newness of life.

May we rejoice in this truth. More of Christ. Less of us. Stop the Christmas madness. Meditate on the Christmas miracle, that in the fullness of time God sent His son so that we can have life to the full.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:4-7).

Merry Christmas and amen. May it be that we don't miss Christ in Christmas this year.