Why is it that people (kids) would rather wait in line to see a jolly old feller dressed up in a red coat with a fluffy white beard? ] It’s just downright amazing to me the things that goes on every year that are connected with Christmas, when we ought to be celebrating the birth of Jesus! (Yes, I’ve talked about this before). The stores and store customers all get involved! There are Black Fridays and Cyber Mondays and all sorts of baitin’ to get us to come out and buy gifts for people so we can “properly” celebrate Christmas!
We see the deliveries almost every day. We buy presents to be given to folks we love!
But, On the day we should be celebrating his birth, it just seems to me as if our Lord is getting ripped off! You know… the reason for the season, the reason why Jesus came.
Oh yeah, and then to top it off, we even get each other white elephant gifts all wrapped up to make it look like we’re getting’ something good; when in reality, it’s somethin’ like used toilet paper rolls with old candy inside. That sounds sanitary!
Or we may play another game, most of us call it dirty Santa, where we buy a present we hope to get to keep when the game is done. And we’ll even fight to take it away from someone else who decides they like it and take it from us. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy these games as much as the next person, but I reckon what is botherin’ me is who should be getting the gifts. We are celebratin’ the birth of God with us and we are fightin’ over his presents when we should be seeking his “presence.” We fight at the store; we fight when we open them; and we fight when we try to return them without a receipt to a store that might not have sold it in the first place!
Y’all may remember the song by Becky Kelley called “Where’s the Line to See Jesus?” Becky told of how it came about, “While at the mall a couple of years ago, my then fouryear-old nephew, Spencer, saw kids lined up to see Santa Claus. Having been taught as a toddler that Christmas is the holiday that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, he asked his mom, “Where’s the line to see Jesus?” I would strongly encourage you to go find that song. It will touch your heart! Or how about this: play the song at your family gatherings this year, even if you did it last year! And don’t forget to open up your Bible to the book of Luke and read the real story of why we celebrate the birth of Christ. Yep, you can do it right there from your Bible, Luke 2. I’ll likely mention that again before Christmas.
But where is the line to see Jesus? If we are doing our job as disciples of Christ, shouldn’t there be at least a little line waiting to experience Jesus at our churches?
Whether we go to church building or gather up the wagons and sit around the fire we call church we should make it a plan to focus on worshipping the God of the universe?
Make it real. It don’t have to be fancy. Just keep it simple. And it don’t have to always be full of traditions and such. But when His church comes together, we ought to be real and sincere about our worship of the King. I don’t often say this, but it’s not just about serving Him, we need to convey to Him that we love and appreciate Him! It’s called worship. We are to do it!
And think about this, what did Jesus come to do? He came that we may have life. How did He do it? He came born of a virgin. And He died on the cross for our sins! And came out of the grave to show us the way. And He sits at the right hand of His Father that we may have life eternal. So let us help others find that line to see Jesus. If you don’t know Him then find someone who does and get on the trail to see Jesus!
Choose Jesus, choose life! And find a Bible believin’ church where you “fit in” and know, grow, and follow Christ! Tell others! See y’all at church and keep PRAYIN’ for HIS HARVEST! And y’all KEEP PRAYIN’ for RAIN! Amen