Can you see Jesus?
8th December 2011 by Esther Pinn
Air balloon Santa. Check. A flashing star. Check. Light-up candy canes. Check. Fake snow. Check. Can you see Jesus?
Last week I went shopping for some Christmas decorations. My husband has suddenly gained a new obsession with Christmas lights (much to my delight) and after 20 minutes of searching, my husband asked, “Where’s the nativity scene?”
Don’t get me wrong, I love all the sparkling lights with Santa and his reindeers, but I do feel sad that it’s getting harder to buy decorations that are associated with Jesus’ birth. The only decorations I could find were angels and a shooting star.
It’s really easy to say Christmas is all about Jesus. But is it easy to live it out?
We go to church on Christmas Day, attend a carol service and we think “I’ve done my part in making Christmas about Jesus”.
Put Jesus First
It doesn’t matter if you're seven or 17, the first thing most of us want to do on Christmas morning (after a coffee of course) is open presents!
Now there’s nothing wrong with doing that but I challenge you to put Jesus first before any other morning Christmas rituals this year.
Time with Jesus: Have a quiet time with God or even just start the day with prayer.
Give Thanks: Before you dig into that amazing turkey your mum has slaved over, give thanks to God for your blessings. And don’t forget to thank the people who give you gifts!
Be content: Don’t be jealous of your friend who received 25 presents while you only got ten.
Sing a carol and mean it! There are some carols out there that I’ve never heard of, let alone understand what they mean, but when they start singing the carol you do know, think about Jesus!
Appreciate Jesus before the BIG day!
Remember why we give: When you are shopping for Christmas gifts, think about the ultimate gift that God has sent you – his son Jesus. When you remember this great gift, it becomes easier to be excited about blessing a family member or friend with a gift.
Pray for the less fortunate: While it is sad that there are children all over the world who won’t be receiving presents this year, pray for them and ask God to bless them abundantly.
Take some action: Get involved with your local community. Maybe you could buy a present for the Kmart Wishing Tree appeal or sing Christmas Carols at a nursing home. You can even send a present to children living in poverty overseas through Operation Christmas Child run by Samaritan's Purse. There are lots of ways you can help bless people this Christmas.
Send Christmas blessings: When writing your Christmas cards, pop a Bible verse in or remind them to celebrate the birth of Jesus!
Bake cookies for your neighbours: If you don’t know your neighbours, now is a great time to take over some sweet treats, introduce yourself and spread the love of Christ.
Open invitation: Don’t be a Grinch! If you know someone who doesn’t have anyone to celebrate Christmas with, ask your parents if you can invite them over.
If you want to check out Christmas lights this year and don’t know where to go, check out this website. Also, if you or your parents have gone crazy with lights this Christmas you can upload your light display on this same website and people can come and visit your very own Christmas Spectacular!
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