Everyone I know seems to enjoy birthdays. One reason that we do is that not having one is a very eternal situation. So on January 26th I celebrate my birthday even though I have had more of them than I want. Related to birthdays are birthday presents. We all like to get presents. Whether the present comes in a package or not does not seem to matter. It seems, for example to be a waste to beautifully wrap a present to a young child in that they will simply tear into it without paying attention to the exterior paper.
This brings me in a strange way to the current season. Next month we will celebrate Jesus’s birthday. It seems to me that each year there is some controversy associated with Christmas. Some people take offense if others refer to this period as the Christmas holidays of the holiday season. The belief is that this takes away from the spirit of Christmas. This year it is Starbucks. Instead of decorating their holiday cups with images of the Christmas season, they will supply you a latte in a solid red cup with the Starbucks logo.
What connects these first two paragraphs? I propose that red cups, references to X-mas or the holiday season are like the paper we use to wrap a birthday present. I suggest that Jesus is far more interested in the present than the way that the present is presented. So what type of present would Jesus want? I think that the answer is love. We are given many examples about this by the writers of the New Testament. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” Luke 6:31. Treat other people in the same way that you would like being treated. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love, 1 Corinthians 13:13. “All you need is love”; The Beatles.
In my opinion we should celebrate the season by caring for and loving each other. Help supply Toys for Tots. Volunteer to help Meals on Wheels or some other charity of your choice. Be nice to one another, let someone in line in front of you. Keep your patience when caught in traffic. Be nice to one another, it is the right thing to do. These are the kinds of birthday presents that Jesus cares for. Don’t worry so much about how the package is wrapped; care for what’s in the package.
Christmas is not how it is wrapped, it is what is in your heart. Enjoy the season even if it is referred to as the holiday season or the Christmas season. Enjoy your latte even if it is served in a solid red cup with a Starbucks logo rather than reindeer or snowflakes.
Source : yourstephenvilletx
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