We have all seen the picture: a perfectly decorated home ready to be filled with the joyous family gathering. Nothing wrong with that. Most every wife and mother wants their family to gather in a beautifully decorated home filled with food, gifts, and love. Many families gather each Christmas and have a wonderful time together. That’s great.
The problem comes when we feel that the ideal Christmas must mean that our life is ideal. Let’s just get real. If the ideal Christmas must mean that our family is ideal, our job is ideal, our friends are ideal, and our church is ideal then we are destined for disappointment and a joyless Christmas. Whatever is NOT IDEAL about our lives typically comes front and center at Christmas. Everything from that co-worker who once again offended us at the office Christmas party to the troubled family member and everything in between seeks to steal the joy and peace of our Christmas.
I have good news for you, dear friend. Christmas did not begin in an ideal fashion, and, I would argue, is not intended to be the time we showcase our ideal life. In fact, the first Christmas was HARD and MESSY.
“Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:1–7, NASB95)
We read this familiar section of the Christmas story and the familiarity of it makes us miss the difficulty Mary and Joseph experienced. They had already endured months of ridicule and gossip because Mary came up pregnant during their betrothal period. We know that she conceived by the Holy Spirit and had not been unfaithful. No doubt many of her peers and townspeople did not believe that explanation. In addition, they dealt with the difficulty of traveling while pregnant. Remember, they weren’t riding in a luxury SUV. In those days travel was difficult under the best of circumstances. Finally, they dealt with the difficulty of being unable to find accommodations and having the baby out in the stables with the animals. Think about that. If we look closely, we see that there was NOTHING ideal about the first Christmas. In fact, the first Christmas was messy and hard.
The first Christmas was not about ideal. The first Christmas was about the goodness of God and His grace in sending the world a Savior. Remember what the angels proclaimed when Christ was born?
“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8–11, NASB95)
Christmas has never been about ideal. In fact, Christmas happened because everything was NOT ideal in this world. An ideal world filled with ideal people who live ideal lives certainly doesn’t need a savior. From the beginning, Christmas was about the saving work of God in Christ Jesus and the hope it offers humanity. That’s it. Remember the testimony of the angels: “….for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is the Christ the Lord.”
Using that definition of Christmas, we can let go of our idealized version of it where we beat ourselves up and put so much pressure on ourselves. Using that definition of Christmas, we can redefine the ideal Christmas we are seeking…
The ideal Christmas is more about what God is doing than what I am doing.
The ideal Christmas is focused on what I have in Christ more than what I do not have in this life.
The ideal Christmas speaks more of God’s faithfulness to my family than what is wrong with my family.
The ideal Christmas remembers that nothing can separate me from the love of God no matter how I may feel.
The ideal Christmas speaks hope because the same Jesus who appeared in the manger at his first advent is returning in power and glory at his second advent.
The ideal Christmas knows I have received the greatest gift and no circumstances can ever take it away.
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15, NASB95)
Have a Merry (more ideal) Christmas!
gregcorbin.com 