Happy Christian New Year's Day (Life)!

"... All the days of my struggle I will wait until my change comes"  (Job 14:14, NASB).
"... All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come" (Job 14:14, ESV).


The whole pagan world is united in this: celebrate (get drunk and party) the New Year.  They make such a production out of it that it eclipses everything else--even Christians fall prey to temptations.  But what is New Year's Day for the believer?  God doesn't command us to celebrate it and Christians don't believe in partying and getting drunk.  Most people think of it as a time of renewal and commitment.  But Christians can repent anytime and start over with a new life--they don't have to wait till the new year to start over in life.  Jesus is in the business of changing lives permanently!

Ever new beginnings are what the Chrisitan life is all about.  God changes lives over and over and doesn't ever stop changing us till we are in Christ's image--chipping away anything that doesn't resemble Christ.  Whenever the Christian confesses and repents God offers a clean slate--He forgets our past mistakes and sins and we don't have to either.  It's just like Job proclaimed:  I will wait till my renewal comes (cf. Job 14:14).  We can come to terms with God at any time!  In fact, this is the whole point of Christianity and unique to our faith--we don't have to make vows or resolutions but just confess our fault to God and trust Him.  It's not a matter of trying but trusting!  It would be disingenuous to confess to God not accepting a new beginning or intending to let God remold us and fulfill His promises.  Every day is New Year's Day for believers!  Don't wait till the end of the year to take spiritual inventory or make a checkup on your life--this is an ongoing project.

Remember that God is never finished with us and will not give up on us till glory when the work is perfected.  With the believer, it may be said happy new life for God is in the business of changing lives--this is the point!  If you want to live all year and wait to make the changes you want rather than what God wants you aren't living by the Book. We don't have to wait!

This all comes with the package and we signed up for it upon salvation--commitment towards ultimate perfection (what God wants not us--e.g., not dieting but making healthy choices!).  Just like Christians ought always to be in the Christmas spirit, they also ought to have the right attitude towards new beginnings for the Christian. There are really no holidays for the believer; he isn't even obliged to observe the Sabbath!  But we mustn't just our brother on what is holy to him and what his faith is.  For example, Christmas isn't mandatory but believers over the centuries have given in to public pressure and God has worked it out to be a Christian tradition. And so, why wait? because we can celebrate New Year's Day all the time!  In sum, it's always New Year's Eve for the believer--a time of contemplation and decision making and realizing that God does all the work.     Soli Deo Gloria!

How Are You Celebrating Christmas?

As a history lesson, Christmas wasn't celebrated until the fifth century about A.D. 450 to commemorate the Feast of the Nativity.  The day was chosen as Mithra's (the god of the Roman soldiers) birthday on the 25th of December because the Romans gave presents during the Sol Invictus  (the unconquerable sun), and the Saturnalia from December 17-24.  It is not mentioned or documented that the early Christians even celebrated Christ's birth, or even that Christ did--that's why we don't have a precise date.

In the spirit of greetings, you don't have to be Christian to wish someone a Merry Christmas any more than you have to celebrate New Years to wish one a happy New Year, Irish to wish someone happy St. Patrick's Day or a Jew to wish one happy Hanukkah.  It is a simple courtesy, not political correctness, and expressing pleasantries.   Whether one believes or not one can be a well-wisher.

There is more to the meaning of Christmas than the story of the nativity and the wise men.  Of course, the spirit of giving was especially inspired by the gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but we all must not only celebrate the birth of the Son of God or His incarnation but the celebration of the birth of God in our spirits. I identify with the little drummer boy who had no gift fit to give a king.  The wise men sought out the Lord, and wise men still seek him; this shows that Christ came for all mankind and not just to redeem Israel as its king, though He was born the rightful heir apparent to the throne of David.

Christmas is an opportune time to recount the biblical narrative and the believer never grows tired of hearing its simple, straightforward message in a new light.  It is especially the time to relate the story in simple terms so the children can apprehend the meaning and significance of this birth. Children understand what adults have lost the sense of--the awe and magic of the story so poignant and touching to the heart, even melting the stony one because there is power in the Word if one gives it a chance to work in his heart. We need this chance to relive our childhood.   But we have to honor tradition in its own right (there's nothing wrong with tradition as long as it bows to the Word of God and doesn't have equal authority), and to make traditions we can call all our own--for instance, every family has its own Christmas tree decorum and present exchange rigmarole.

Christmas has more than religious significance but also an outreach to the unsaved (reach out and touch someone, as they say), and this is the time for bringing families and coworkers or friends together, which wouldn't otherwise be done.  It's the time to show the testimony and witness of the love of Christ, and in a way, Santa shows kids this caring and saintly love that we let them believe, as we let kids be kids and develop their power of imagination.  I can find myself almost believing in Frosty the Snowman and Rudolf the Red-nosed reindeer myself after hearing so many carols over the radio stations--music has its magical influence and makes you believe on a level of consciousness whether one admits it or not--I can believe in my heart because I relate and identify.

It's the idea of the fairy tale that has impact and kids love a story, even if they know it's make-believe.  At a young enough age, children will insist on believing in Santa:  "Mom and Dad don't believe in Santa, but I still believe and here's why."  Santa is a kind of a man who stands in loco Dei or in the place of God in their eyes, and believing in him is equated with believing in God.  Why? Because of their innocence and imagination--they can think they know more than their parents.  I find myself becoming a "believer" in the "Santa spirit" after watching "Miracle on 34th Street."  I'm with Kris Kringle and see the world through his eyes in the small screen.  We must preserve the ideals this teaches and the lessons we can learn:  We see life through the eyes of kids once a year in a special way, and relate to them on their level.  We get the opportunity to be kids for a season. It is vicarious, I know, but everyone should experience life through the eyes of a child.

Another good fruit of Christmas is all the caroling and the "fun" songs that the season has.  Virtually every major musician, including Paul McCartney and Paul Lennon, have made Christmas songs that are really moving and pique the senses in a special and even maudlin way ("Simply having a wonderful Christmas time" and "So this is Christmas").  Even Lennon admits there's a feeling that only comes this time of year.  I hardly ever get sentimental but some of these songs really are tearjerkers and some bring joy to the heart.

Now, we don't want to forget the spiritual and religious hymns and carols, because part of Christmas is also having fun and singing for the fun of it--I don't know of any other time of year when so many people know so many of the songs being played and recognize many more than at Christmas.  God wants us to have fun too and not always be serious and sober, but to enjoy ourselves with celebration and laughter, and sharing the festivities.  Even the secular stations playing Christmas carols do not fail to give the truth of the nativity story its due and allow "religious" lyrics.  And finally:  What is the most wonderful time of the year without caroling--it wouldn't be complete!  Whether you are a participant or a spectator it is a natural.  It has become part of the culture of Christendom.  Viva la Christmas carols!

To some most people, Christmas has degenerated into a consumer frenzy and especially kids just interested in what they get under the tree.  It is family time and kids learn their values here--this is the time to show them.  We don't want them to grow up becoming greedy, covetous, or materialistic, but also we want them to learn to enjoy God's blessings and to be thankful for what He has bestowed.  The biggest lesson is what Jesus said:  "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).   Unfortunately, our nation's economy is consumer-oriented and dependent on consumer spending and commercialism, and especially the power of advertising to lure the shopper to get the latest big thing.  I didn't get much from my brothers for Christmas, but to me, it is the thought that counts and I am glad to be remembered sent something of themselves that makes it personal, and I'm glad they know I appreciate it and don't expect anything.

For some folks, Christmas ranks right up there with Thanksgiving as the day of the big fellowship dinner or feast, and people make a big to-do about what they traditionally feast on.  I love to reminisce about old times eating rice pudding and mince-meat or pumpkin pie and of course turkey with all the "fixin's."  Getting the wishbone was my preoccupation and it only made the dinner complete after a cup of coffee and family fellowship and sharing of the latest news.  I'll bet I learned how to eat like a gentlemen going to all those family get-togethers and/or reunions of extended families.

For me, one of the most important events is the receiving of edifying and beautiful cards (especially the Courier and Ives prints), and I take the opportunity to post them on my wall or door to behold the artwork and handicraft. To me, the most important part of a greeting card is the beauty to behold, because God is an artist and the most beautiful, collectible ones are by the late Thomas Kinkade.  It takes more effort to send a meaningful card that has a message than just making a comment on Facebook.  Somehow Christmas seems too formal and holy or sacrosanct to just send emails or text a greeting.  Christmas cards are really an institution in my book and are a gesture not to be forsaken.

Most of all Christmas is a truly intimate family holiday that offers itself to individual family traditions to have a personal character all its own.  For me, I get to hear from my brothers, as I have no family of my own and if it wasn't for Christmas we'd probably drift further and further apart to the point of no longer knowing each other.   It is a time of family ties and to renew them, to bury all hatchets and to make peace--WWI had a Christmas ceasefire at the trenches of the front lines.  It's time to live out the gospel message of Christ bringing peace to all men of good will.  The world is especially watching the believer during this special time of year and it may give the opportunity to witness like no other one time can.  God opens doors that are rarely opened at other times and we are to seize the day, so to speak!  Take and conquer the promised land for Jesus!

Finally, in the spirit of Christmas, let's emphasize that the real thing God wants for Christmas is us. Love is spelled T-I-M-E.  Spending time with someone is the surest way to show love and to give of yourself.  Notice that the believers in the Bible first gave of themselves to the Lord. I want you to realize that Christmas is for kids from 1 to 92!  We can wish Jesus a happy birthday by giving Him our heart and following Him more nearly, knowing Him more clearly, and loving Him more dearly, as Richard of Chichester first said.    Soli Deo Gloria!