Rediscovering Reverence
WRITER: Phil Bray POSTED: December 5, 2024
REDISCOVERING REVERENCE
Christmas is a wonderful time of year. It is a time of laughter and joy, a time of peace and goodwill toward others. It is a time for giving gifts, eating delicious foods, and resting from the ordinary rhythms of life. It is a time to celebrate! Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ arrival into this world as the long awaited Savior, God enfleshed, here to save us from our sins! Peter says, “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus came to set us free from our enslavement to sin and all its subsequent consequences and miseries. He came to remove our sin so as to enable us to live our lives in the joy of righteousness!
Each year we celebrate in various ways to commemorate and rejoice in Jesus Christ our Lord. Our celebrations should abound with joy, with laughter, with gladness of heart! Relationships should be mended, forgiveness should be extended, kindness should be enacted across every spectrum of our lives. I would caution you though. In our rush to celebrate, let us remember to rediscover reverence as well.
Our culture has corrupted the holiday of Christ’s arrival by reducing it to a consumeristic celebration of stuff. Giving gifts is good. It is a way to celebrate. The question is why are we giving gifts? Why are we spending so much money on more possessions? It is not because of need. We do not need these things. Christmas gifts are typically special items, possessions we want but would not typically buy for ourselves. That is what makes the gift special. That is part of the celebration of Christmas. It is a day of surprises and good will being extended to one another. It is a day to show grace, giving to one another what is not earned or deserved, but rather given as a free expression of sacrificial love.
Giving gifts is good. Rediscover the reverence though, in the giving of gifts. Do not simply reinforce the idolatry of stuff in your children and friends. Our happiness, our gladness, our contentment and peace is not found in obtaining more stuff or even better stuff. Our joy is in Jesus alone. He is the bread of life who satisfies the deepest longings of our soul (John 6:35). He is the treasure of our heart. Do not give in a way that props up the idolatry of consumerism and selfish greed. Give in a way that highlights the gracious gift of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). Give a special and thought out gift. Give in such a way that the gift of Christ is highlighted and remembered. Give in such a way that the affections of your gift’s recipient is turned toward Jesus Himself. In so doing I believe we can go a long way in restoring the reverence to this most sacred and joyous holiday.
Christmas is a wonderful time of year. It is a time of laughter and joy, a time of peace and goodwill toward others. It is a time for giving gifts, eating delicious foods, and resting from the ordinary rhythms of life. It is a time to celebrate! Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ arrival into this world as the long awaited Savior, God enfleshed, here to save us from our sins! Peter says, “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus came to set us free from our enslavement to sin and all its subsequent consequences and miseries. He came to remove our sin so as to enable us to live our lives in the joy of righteousness!
Each year we celebrate in various ways to commemorate and rejoice in Jesus Christ our Lord. Our celebrations should abound with joy, with laughter, with gladness of heart! Relationships should be mended, forgiveness should be extended, kindness should be enacted across every spectrum of our lives. I would caution you though. In our rush to celebrate, let us remember to rediscover reverence as well.
Our culture has corrupted the holiday of Christ’s arrival by reducing it to a consumeristic celebration of stuff. Giving gifts is good. It is a way to celebrate. The question is why are we giving gifts? Why are we spending so much money on more possessions? It is not because of need. We do not need these things. Christmas gifts are typically special items, possessions we want but would not typically buy for ourselves. That is what makes the gift special. That is part of the celebration of Christmas. It is a day of surprises and good will being extended to one another. It is a day to show grace, giving to one another what is not earned or deserved, but rather given as a free expression of sacrificial love.
Giving gifts is good. Rediscover the reverence though, in the giving of gifts. Do not simply reinforce the idolatry of stuff in your children and friends. Our happiness, our gladness, our contentment and peace is not found in obtaining more stuff or even better stuff. Our joy is in Jesus alone. He is the bread of life who satisfies the deepest longings of our soul (John 6:35). He is the treasure of our heart. Do not give in a way that props up the idolatry of consumerism and selfish greed. Give in a way that highlights the gracious gift of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). Give a special and thought out gift. Give in such a way that the gift of Christ is highlighted and remembered. Give in such a way that the affections of your gift’s recipient is turned toward Jesus Himself. In so doing I believe we can go a long way in restoring the reverence to this most sacred and joyous holiday.