Don't throw the baby (Jesus) out with the bath water

There are Christians who are upset because they believe there is a 'war' on Christmas. Yes, Canada is perhaps the worst for swinging the pendulum of political correctness so far that it is laughable....laughable because those who might be 'offended' at Christmas aren't offended at all. Those of us who are civil and loving, wish each other a Happy Hanukkah, Ramadan, Christmas - whatever applies to the one celebrating,... while politicians treat 'Christmas' like a swear word - not to be uttered in our schools or government places. But each year, regardless of mandates for 'holiday trees' and 'winter parties', I still hear plenty of songs at the mall about Jesus and 'Merry Christmas' falls from the lips of most, whether they are of faith or not. I frankly wish we'd let the whole 'war' perception drop and let the politically correct rules just look as ridiculous as they are. I even heard recently that Santa Claus is being replaced with Frosty the Snowman....until we find something wrong with him I guess. Let's just carry on enjoying Christmas regardless!

I don't believe Christmas is in any more danger of disappearing than Christianity is.

That being said....I do see a trend in North America of many being 'done' with church and no longer holding to a particular religion, though many will still say they believe in God. This isn't true in countries where Christians are persecuted for their faith. Those numbers of Christians are growing in leaps and bounds, spreading like wildfire while meeting under threat of their lives. They don't have cool modern churches, awesome worship leaders, amazing music, the latest technological equipment, and stirring 7-step sermons to health and happiness. While we won't get out of bed for church one day a week.... they lay down their lives for their faith in God. What do they know that we don't?????

I think they have responded with abandon and love to a Saviour whom they know they desperately need. We're not so desperate here.

I 'get' why people leave church and never come back. I 'get' why they may never go in the first place. They are imperfect places and quite frankly, we can worship God wherever we are without church attendance. At the same time, I am baffled at people who leave their faith in God behind in the pew, because there were hypocrites there and they were 'hurt' by them. What did you expect? And how intact was your trust in God if a person could shake it from you? The best of us are hypocrites at times because we are human. People frustrate each other whether it be home, work, school, or church. That's life. But God hasn't changed.... so we are left without excuse for walking away from His presence in our lives when that has nothing to do with another person - it's between us and God and what WE do with Him.

Perhaps in all of this, we've forgotten about the baby that prompted angels to amass the sky with brilliance and melody never seen or heard on earth. God made a grand announcement about His Son and had been telling us about Him for ages beforehand that He was coming. Why was He coming? To bring life and light and eternity and meaning to our lives. To point us to His Father who desperately loves us and wants us to know it. But we're distracted. We've shifted our focus to people and things. We live unaware of just how close He is to us and how much He wants to be a part of our lives. We're not desperate for Him. We can manage just fine without Him. In the midst of His birthday celebrations, He is forgotten.

And so we throw the baby out with the bath water of religion - as if He had anything to DO with religion! Funny thing is....no one abhored hypocrites and 'religion' more than Jesus. He was all about relationship with His Father that He wanted us to know we could embrace.

Throw out religion - gladly. Throw out hypocrisy - who needs it! But don't throw out the baby whose birth we now should celebrate with joy. If you've lost any passion you may have had about Jesus.....dig in and find out all you can about Him for yourself and read what He had to say about Himself, His Father, and you.

Pride, self absorption, and the distractions of life will eclipse Him from your view.

But desperation for Him, humility, and trust in Him opens the door to His Spirit to actually begin to show you amazing mysteries of His love for you and a whole beautiful eternity that awaits us.

If we thought the hosts of angels filling a sky with heavenly melody to some guys tending sheep was thrilling....especially when his announcement was all about His love for us.....I think that sky was only a very tiny taste of the awesomeness of his power and majesty - we haven't even begun to fathom what we will see in future! He is, after all, the Creator. I'm overwhelmed at the thought of the day when I see Him face to face and dissolve in worship. Until then, I always want to be desperate for Him.

"As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God." (Psalm 42:1)

Listen to this song....play it loud.... and picture yourself beneath those skies...or even above them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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