Merry Christmas...and a 'Mediocre' New Year

Have you ever noticed how jolly people are around Christmas? It seems that everyone has an additional measure of grace, a sort of supernatural happiness, that is not easily defeated or lost ... until the Christmas season is over.

The Christmas holidays are officially ended, and the emotional high of the season is beginning to decline. Of course, we all have the New Year to look forward to, but the general hype of the commercialized Christmas season is coming to a close.

Why is it that the joy is so temporary? Is it merely a false high, perpetuated by glowing lights, merry tunes, and gift-giving? Is it true that people are just left with a house full of ripped wrapping paper and a few new items to prolong the seemingly short hype until next Christmas?

 Christmas is the only day when everyone gets gifts on someone else's birthday. 

Rather than saying, "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" do we really mean happy birthday to ourselves?

Now, I don't have a problem with exchanging gifts and I'm not even arguing that I haven't fallen into this same trap. But it really feels like the euphoric happiness around Christmas has more to do with ourselves, than it has to do with our Lord and Savior.

And in this sense, it feels like we're saying

"Merry Christmas and a Mediocre New Year."


As if happiness and joy are only characteristic of the Christmas season. But if we are truly Christians, living a life characterized by a love of the Lord, then we should know that His blessings don't just last for a season! They last for eternity!

The joy that we experience everyday is tantamount to that which we experience as we give and receive gifts on Christmas. Our unique joy on Christmas, is that we are celebrating the birth of our Savior.

But we aren't just celebrating his birth, we're celebrating His death, and His resurrection, too! His promises of everlasting life, His life that sets a perfect example of servant leadership, and His love which is superior to every gift of this world!

What we celebrate; Jesus' life, death and resurrection, should set an example for how we are to live out our lives in the New Year. Drawn to a higher calling after the Christmas season, than we were in the midst of it!

So today, on the day after Christmas, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a New Year that is filled with the fulfilling and all consuming love of Jesus. Living lives characterized by His grace, His mercy, and His peace!