more than feeling of the christmas "Spirit"

By Yodit Kifle Smith

I’ve talked to many people during this Christmas season who’ve expressed that they’ve not been able to get into the “Christmas spirit.” And given the kind of year 2020 has been, I completely relate.

Then I started to ask myself what that “Christmas spirit” was supposed to feel like. Perhaps it was being home with family. Or hosting my annual white elephant gift exchange with my sisters from church OR buying gifts for everyone I had intended. If you’re like me, I realized that I had attached the memories I made during this time to add to the significance to why we celebrate this time. 

It’s no secret that Christmas has been so romanticized that anything less than lights, decorations, presents, family, parties, white elephant gift exchanges, and eggnog (not a fan) falls short of having the Christmas spirit.
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As we enter this week, perhaps struggling to “feel” the Christmas “spirit,” what must we remember about the real significance of this season?

1. The Christmas season is NOT about comfort and convenience. 

Can you imagine Mary’s situation? A teenage, unwed Jewish young woman who gets visited by an Angel and told that she would carry the Savior of the world? Oh, and don’t forget the shame that people would have tried to hang over her as they assumed that she broke the law by getting pregnant before marriage. On top of that, she and Joseph couldn’t even find a decent place to give birth to Jesus (Luke 1-2). Talk about discomfort and  inconvenience! 
The nature of this time wasn’t about the beautiful aesthetics of how the world should have welcomed our Savior. It wasn’t about the comfort or the convenience expected from God to fulfill His great purpose.  No, it was a reminder that in the midst of hardship and confusion and fear, God, in His rich mercy, sent Jesus to enter this world to save us. It was about using the unlikely to show forth His glory. So if we are carrying the weight of hardship, confusion and fear in this season, you aren’t alone. He is able to sympathize. If you are feeling "unlikely," His glory will show forth mightily. 

1. The Christmas season isn’t about feeling good as it is about rejoicing in a TRUE HOPE.

We aren’t missing out on the Christmas season because our emotions may not be expressing it with decorations all over the house and baking cookies and buying gifts. It’s natural to think that if we aren’t feeling “jolly” and sentimental during this time, then we must be dishonoring God. And this is really reflective of how much mainstream romanticized Christmas has wired us to feel and think. As mentioned earlier, for the believer, celebrating Christmas isn’t focused on the feelings that this year brings us or the memories we make. Truth be told, this time of the year is very hard for many who may be estranged from family or who have lost loved ones. This time, with the hardship, confusion and fear we may be feeling, should lift our eyes up to a TRUE Hope that was given to us by God our Father. His name is Jesus, the anchor of our soul (Hebrews 6:19). The One who sits with us in those moments and lifts us from being overcome by them.

1. The Christmas season is a reminder of God’s RICH Mercy.

We see the words Joy, Peace, & Love plastered all over during this season--and all are reflective of what we’ve been given in Jesus. But how quick are we to think of the word Mercy? Perhaps we’ve reserved that word for Easter. Mercy is at the very heart of this season because it’s at the heart and nature of God! Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high (Luke 1:78) In fact, JOY should well up in us when we think about how Merciful it is for God to send His Son to be born in the conditions He was born into and endure the suffering He would experience ALL for the sake of our reconciliation with Him (Eph. 2:4-10). It’s easier to equate Easter with the Gospel message but THIS Christmas story is PART of the Gospel message too. He had to be born to die. And so this season is monumental to how we understand God’s Mercy. It is yet another reminder of how this Merciful Father loves us and made a way for us to know and love Him.
Sister, regardless of what emotional state you find yourself in this season, I pray you submit those emotions to these glorious truths and worship Him as He restores the JOY of your salvation.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 

Passages to read/memorize/meditate:

Ephesians 2:4
1 Peter 1:3
Titus 3:5
Luke 1-2


Questions to Reflect on:

1. Do you find yourself not feeling the “Christmas Spirit?” How have these truths lifted your eyes?