It is 10 days before Christmas eve, and while I am excited, I can not seem to get into the Christmas spirit. This is normally one of my most favorite times of year (Easter being my other favorite). This year, however something seems off.
I have been trying to figure out why. I mean, it has been a great year. I don’t have a lot of money for gifts this year, but that isn’t what Christmas is about so, while I want to be able to get more for my family I know they understand. Huggy Love, Bailey’s elf on the shelf, is out and about with his daily shenanigans and that is really fun. I have been caroling, although I didn’t really sing, but the look on our church members faces when the group sang was nothing short of amazing. I have watched almost all of my favorite Christmas movies and it even snowed…but still…nothing.
This morning as I read my advent reading plan I read 2 Corinthians 5:7
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Then it hit me; the first verse of Jesus Messiah by Chris Tomlin dropped into my head
He became sin who knew no sin,
that we might become his righteousness,
he humbled himself and carried the cross,
love so amazing…
And I realized that I wasn’t in the Christmas spirit because I was not focusing on WHO this entire season is about.
My very best friend, my Savior, my Redeemer’s birthday celebrati
on is in a few days and I haven’t even acknowledged HIM…at least not in the way that I should. There is a quote by John Piper that sums up what I am feeling perfectly. It says:
“If you don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world.”
If it were anyone else’s birthday the countdown would be on and it is…to Christmas…but not to Jesus’ birthday. My focus has been on the small and there has not been room for God’s greatness.
So, the countdown begins today.
In 11 days it will be an awesome birthday celebration for Jesus. We’ll have cake and ice cream and sing happy birthday to Him because God becoming flesh living among us for a time is way more important than Santa coming to bring gifts.
Song
- Jesus Messiah by Chris Tomlin
