Keep Christ in Christmas

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”  Luke 2:14

Well, soon we will be wrapping up, pardon the pun, another Christmas and returning to the daily grind of everyday life.  The Christmas gifts will have been exchanged and opened, the turkey, ham, or other traditional foods will have been enjoyed along with all the cakes, pies, cookies, and other delightful treats.  We will have enjoyed spending time with kinfolks and friends and either say or hear the same thing, “We need to get together more often”, but then we rarely do.  We have probably spent cash, or put on our credit cards, more than we should have, but, as my former millionaire boss used to say, “It’s only money.”

So now what?  Do we continue on until Easter or next Christmas before we truly consider our commitment to the One of whom we celebrate?  The night Jesus was born the shepherds were alerted to His birth, and they quickly made their way to the stable wherein the Baby lay, the One who would bring peace and goodwill toward men, not just on Easter and Christmas, but every single day of the year to those who trust in Him.  The birth of Jesus made a profound impact upon the shepherds.  They returned home and began to spread the news concerning the Christ Child, glorifying and praising God for being allowed to behold such a magnificent event.  I am certain that their lives were never the same just as anyone who comes to know Christ in a personal and committed way.  They were privileged to be in the company of the One whom God had promised to send as a Redeemer for mankind.

If all who claim to be followers of Christ could just capture that true Spirit of Christmas and keep it throughout the year, then we would see more peace on earth and good will toward men.