[440 words]
Soon it will be Christmas day. To children, it seems that day will never come. They dream about their time off from school, the presents they hope to receive, and seeing family they may seldom see during the rest of the year. These are things that make Christmas special for children, but what about those of us who are older? What makes Christmas special to us?
To some, a “merry” Christmas is a time of drinking alcoholic beverages, going from party to party. Some feel lonely during the holidays, and drinking may numb their pain, temporarily. Others may drink simply because they enjoy the feelings of intoxication they get.
However, spending the holidays with a drink in your hand is not the best way to enjoy Christmas. The Bible warns: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1). Some will not even remember Christmas because they will be too drunk to remember. Some will do things during the holidays under the influence of alcohol that they would never do while sober. They may start fights, say or do inappropriate things with those of the opposite sex, get arrested, or act in other irresponsible ways. Those who seek to have a “merry” Christmas by making a purchase at the liquor store will likely regret making that choice.
To others, Christmas is a holy day, a time for reflecting on the birth of Christ. Some may attend a worship service of a church during Christmas holidays. Christmas and Easter may be the only times of the year when they attend, but they want to show that they are remembering “the reason for the season.” The truth is that no one knows when Jesus was born.
While it is a good thing that people remember the Lord at any time of the year, it should be understood that the Bible does not teach Christians to celebrate the birth of Christ; neither does it teach that Christians should celebrate the resurrection of Christ at Easter. What the Bible “does” teach is that Christians are to assemble “on the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2). Each week has a first day, Sunday. This is time that has been designated by God for His people to worship and to remember the death of His Son (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Will you attend services the week after Christmas? The week after that?
Christmas is a wonderful time for spending time with family, exchanging gifts, watching football, hunting, and enjoying a break from work. Let’s enjoy it. Merry Christmas!
Mark Lindley
Chapman church of Christ
Ripley, MS