It’s the buzzword at Christmas. Christians and the worldly wise alike put the word on their holiday cards, mantles and gift wrap. Believe. But what do we believe? At Christmas, a time when every aisle of every store shouts the word – “believe!”, we should examine what it means and if we truly do…believe.
One thing I believe for certain is that we, as a Christian country, do not elevate Christ at Christmas.
As another Christmas season approaches, I sit here prayerfully asking God how I can better celebrate with my family. Every year it is the same prayer and the same struggle. The world doesn’t just stand at our door and knock – it shouts and parades, pushing its way into our everyday errands; it tempts and it taunts with every newspaper add carelessly laid on the table; it pulls and it seduces with promises of beautiful gifts sure to please the recipient.…And it falls short – every year. Every year I battle against the commercialism and glitz of what Christmas has become. Every year I try harder to magnify Christ and minimize gift giving. Every year I am saddened at the state of our culture, a Christian country that has forsaken its Christ. I believe that He truly IS the reason for the season, but I also believe that fact is not manifested in our supposed Christian nation, our communities and even within many of our own Christian homes. We want to believ ...