What does putting Christ back in Christmas really mean?

"There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open handed toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land." -- Deuteronomy 15:11

"Jesus answered, "if you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." -- Matthew 19:21

In this time of Christmas, many of us get wrapped up in the secular world. We think it important to get our children everything they ask for. We want to have the best and the brightest decorations on the street. We stress over getting everything done, fighting crowds to get the best bargain around. We spend more than we have to try and make it the "happiest time of the year".

What do you think God feels about all of this. Is the kind of celebration he would condone for His Son's birth. I read something this morning which made me stop in my tracks and think hard about what we are doing...."Jesus was born to die, so that we could live." Wow, what a simplified yet profound message of Christmas.

I think Jesus would be more pleased to see us celebrate His birth by giving to those who are in need. Not to our own families who already have way too much, but to all those in our society who are struggling just to put food on the table. God didn't just ask us to help the poor, he commanded it. Jesus' message on this earth was for us to help out neighbors, to love them as ourselves, to give of ourselves for the good of others.

I ask each one of you to examine, in total honesty, your celebration of Christmas. We are all fighting to keep Christ in Christmas, holding fast to the "Merry Christmas" so many want to take away from us. But are we doing it in word only? Keeping Christ in Christmas means living as Christ commanded us, giving of ourselves not to those who have but to those who need. Would it be so awful if your children got only three small gifts this year and you spent the rest of the money helping those who need food. Would it be so awful if you spent those hours you usually devoted to getting ready for Christmas, shopping, decorating, cooking, volunteering for a worthy cause.

We all have something to give, time, money, both.....Consider if every one of us truly dedicated ourselves to putting Christ back into Christmas, in both word and action. The benefit would far surpass just helping those in need, but also would project the true spirit of Christmas to a world of non-believers who could not help but stop and say "Wow, look at those Christians, perhaps they have something worth looking into." Wouldn't that be the most awesome gift of all.

Prayer:
Lord, help us to understand what putting Christ back into Christmas really means. Help us to celebrate the awesome birth of Your Son in a manner pleasing to You, befitting the magnitude of the blessing You bestowed on us. Lord, I am sorry for missing it all these years, for putting the "things" of the holiday before You. Help us to show the world what we are truly celebrating, the birth of our Lord and Savior, a God who wants us to love our neighbor, to help those in need and to be a beacon of light in the world.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.