I was out and about, bought a sandwich and the cashier said Merry Christmas! Now in this country of the USA this is common. However, there are some proclaiming a war on Christmas, there are some who say that they are taking away my rights to say Merry Christmas. I don't think so, but some do. Ok so a company wishes to say Happy Holidays, well that in and of itself proclaims the day they are wishing us happy to be holy as well.
But this is not the purpose of my writing. The purpose is this.... If they were not saying Happy Holidays and stopping any kind of mention of this Holy day then we would have a problem.
We live in a society that is (supposedly) free, we have the right to say Merry Christmas. But when we take up arms because some one isn't, we are losing the battle, being caught up in the semantics.
Indeed how many of us had lost sight of the Holiest of days (Christmas and Easter) To where they had become rituals, days to get through? How many God fearing, God honoring (trying to anyways) people were so caught up in the rituals, materials, that it has become a bother?
Ask yourself this honestly. Do I truly enjoy Christmas? The Spirit of giving exemplified following the example of our Heavenly Father. The reminder that the manger, whilst very important, was not the end but the beginning.
The war on Christmas is in our true and utter lack of fealty to our God.
We pay lip service but how many truly understand and feel the spirit of the season?
The savior born to die.
We all will die in a preset tine and place but that was not our main purpose for life. Our main purpose is to glorify God the Father. Christ did so by His sinless life and sacrificial death.
We however, go out and spend lots of money on presents, we decorate, we gorge on food and candy football and entertainment.
Where is our sacrifice in this land of plenty? Where and to whom is our dedication and devotion too in this life? What are we giving up to meet the Father's will? What are we striving for that will Glorify Him?
Don't look to me to live a sinless life, i am human as are you. Glorify God? That's even tougher when i am too busy trying to pay my bills. Exemplifying Christ? As long as you don't make me actually have to do something to get it done.
Is this your thought? Your frame of mind?
This then is the true war on Christmas. Christmas day will come and go whether you buy lots of presents or not,
Christmas day will happen whether you approach it with gladness or dread.
Christmas will happen no matter who tries to stop it, no matter how complacent we get.
Why?
God has promised His Word shall never pass away. As long as there is God's Word there will be Christmas.
However, the quality of that day, the meaning of that day, the spirit of that day is up to you.
The true war on Christmas is being waged by us, the lukewarm Christian. The ones who want to get indignant about no one saying Merry Christmas but cannot be bothered to spread the good news of Christ, Jesus the savior who died that men might be saved.
Nativities are good, pageants are good, but if we only do it in ritual, or in rut, then we have lost the battle.
The death of Christ changed history, changed mankind.
Have we died to self and rose in God's Will that we too might make Christmas come alive? That we might loose the power of God's Holy Spirit upon this earth?
The message of Christmas is the death of Christ and salvation freely offered to all men. The true Christmas war is this - will we spread the gospel message? Share the good news 24/7 365? Christ came to seek and to save, but how will they know unless we tell them?
That is the Christmas Spirit.
Our lack of urgency, fervency, passion is the real war.
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