Happy Birthday Jesus

Happy Birthday Jesus!!

Have you ever watched a child on Christmas morning get so excited to open presents? There was one year when my oldest was the only grandchild, and he literally had a stack to open that was taller than he was. Sadly, that was only one house…he had more to come from other places. By the end of the day, he didn't even feel like unwrapping anymore things.

 

Can you remember what you got for Christmas 5 years ago? How about 4? Oh come on….surely 3 years ago? If you are like most people, you probably can't recall at all. My son wrote down candy, but that doesn't count. The point of that line of questioning is to show all of us what Christmas has become.

Every year I try to get my shopping done before Thanksgiving. I hate the rush, the crowds, the pushy people. It all just gives me a headache. So it is much easier if I just avoid it all by shopping early. Inevitably though, it gets to be about 2 weeks before Christmas and I begin to feel that "I haven't gotten my kids enough" feeling. So I go back out and get them the little things…you know…movies (which we can rent), more candy (that gets thrown away), little $1.00 toys to fill their stockings (they always break). Just useless "stuff". I can bet a million bucks that they can't name what I went out and bought them last year either!

 

Why do we do this? Why is it such a thrill for us to give worthless gifts? Is it really worth that 30 seconds of excitement that lights up their faces? As I have gotten older, I realized that my parents always tried to make Christmas really special. But you know what I remember most about my childhood Christmas's? I remember being really excited about a game that I had gotten, and I even remember playing it for a little while, but most of all I recall a huge cardboard box that gave us endless hours of fun! A cardboard box! I know that many of you are shaking your head in agreement right now. You know that it is true! A simple cardboard box would have been all that my parents would have had to give us!

 

Besides reading the title, how many of you have thought about Jesus throughout the story so far? My guess is that your minds were probably going back to bits and pieces of memories that are floating around in your heads. But Jesus…yeah, happy Birthday Jesus, I guess.

 

Have you ever had a party or been to a party where some guest totally upstages the host? When everyone is supposed to be celebrating your big day, and instead, all attention is on someone who is just being louder than everyone else?

 

How do you think Jesus feels?

 

Especially about those who call Him Savior?

We praise Him for giving His Life, and count on Him to pull us through the hard times, but when it comes down to the ONE specific day that we get to actually proclaim as His, we make it about ourselves. Are you depressed yet?

 

We had a sermon on Sunday that had an awesome quote in it. Imagine God asking you to "redeem Christmas like I have redeemed you!" What a challenge! Every year I hear people say things like, "I spent so much money on toys that aren't even going to get played with", "I can't believe I have to give a gift to that person", "maybe I can just give her something out of my closet, she will never know". We spend so much time rushing, griping & wanting, that we forget the most important question yet: "what do you want Jesus?"

 

You know what His response will be? It's the same whether you ask it in July or in December…He will undoubtedly answer "your heart". I can easily have a dialogue with Him about this one. "You have my heart Lord…", "No, I want it ALL, hold nothing back from Me!", "But Lord, I love You, and I live for You daily!" He takes both of my hands in His and looks me directly in my eyes and whispers. "Then feed my sheep…" (John 21:17). Whoosh…all the air goes out of my lungs as I realize my mistake. I am not feeding His people. I am leading them in a way that says: "stuff will make you happy, you need more things to make Christmas special!" Sure we teach our kids that Christmas is Jesus' Birthday, but really, is that what we make Christmas all about? If we truly love Him, we will feed His sheep…not feed our selfish hearts! Not feed our need for just wanting more! We will fill a need rather than fill our toy rooms and closets!

 

Let's really do it this year! Don't just agree that something needs to be done and vow to do it next year!

Please don't take this the wrong way and not give any gifts what so ever…I am not telling you to do that! I am just challenging you to change your mind set on what Christmas really is about, and how we can reclaim it to be the holiday that celebrates Jesus, the ultimate gift, not robo-man, the gift that will break and get thrown away in 3 weeks.

 

Christmas time is about giving, but make sure that first and foremost, you give Jesus what He wants! A completely surrendered heart will in turn celebrate this upcoming B-Day the way it should be celebrated; Christ as the honorary guest, with no one upstaging Him!

So how about it? Is this the year to change things up a little bit?

 

Instead of Merry Christmas you…what about Happy Birthday Jesus?