Holiday Heresy

"I hate Christmas!"

I admit that several years ago, I said these three words out loud.  Talk about a holiday heresy!  A good Christian woman is just not supposed to say these three words.  After my momentary outburst, I realized that I don’t really hate Christmas.  In fact, there are several things that I love about Christmas –

• Spending time with family and blessing them.
• Attending church services that focus on the greatest gift of Christmas – Jesus.
• Decorating the Christmas tree with each ornament bringing back a memory of the rich life God has provided for us.
• Attending parties with friends that involve weird gifts and great laughs.
• Reading from our family Christmas journal that we have kept for over 20 years.

So, what could have ever possessed me to say those three awful words - “I hate Christmas!?”  One word: stress!  Stress that comes from the self-imposed pressure to meet expectations.  Expectations created based on:
​

• What I and others did in the past.
• What I and others feel we need, desire or deserve from the holiday experience.

I don’t know about you, but I have learned that if I want to honor God and bless others this season – to have a meaningful and merry Christmas instead of committing a holiday heresy - I need to examine some of my perceived expectations, such as:

Family gatherings should feel good and be enjoyable!
 
Christmas traditions should be upheld every year.
 
Christmas celebrations should include numerous gifts
 and celebrations that are elaborate.

​Feeling overwhelmed yet?  Me too!  

I think that honoring God and blessing others at Christmas involves examining my perceived expectations in light of the truth – those godly principles that apply to every day of the year, regardless of the season or the expectations that come from my own thoughts or from other people.

Even in the midst of “peace on earth, goodwill towards men”,
difficult people will still be who they are! 
And remember that, sometimes, we can be difficult to deal with as well!  
Be loving and love the unlovely in light of reality.
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
​(Luke 6:31)
 
Remember the old “holiday traditions” but realize that people and circumstances change.
  Examine and adjust yesterday’s traditions to today’s realities because,
“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1).
 
Even in the “season of giving” there are still only 24 hours in a day
and money still does not grow on trees. 
Use wisdom and prayer in determining expenditures
of time, energy and money and, 
​ “…give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
(2 Corinthians 9:7)​

I feel better already and am looking forward to merry and meaningful Christmas celebrations!
 
How about you?  How are you doing in these last few weeks before we celebrate Christmas?  What do you feel is expected of you this Christmas season?  Are your perceptions about your expectations based on the truth?  What needs to change so that you can authentically honor God, bless others and have a meaningful and Merry Christmas?