All of my life I have been told Christmas is not Jesus' birthday, it is just a holiday where family gets together. I was never told that we give gifts because gifts were given to Baby Jesus, I was told Santa Claus was just a magical man who would bring presents to all good little boys and girls. As a small child I didn't ask any more questions, really, who cares at that age WHY you are getting presents??
I was alittle older, still young enough to believe in Santa but old enough to ask questions, and I asked mom WHY would Santa want to make toys and give them away. Mom took me to our new interneted computer and told me to look on there( you have to realize my mom is a teacher, and all of her life and ours, she has taught us. She very rarely told us the answer until we looked for ourselves). I typed in my question and found only stories of Saint Nicholas, who filled kids shoes and socks with small toys (http://www.santasuitexpress.com/santa-claus-history.html?c1=sse&source=google&kw=santahistory I like this one the most!). I never found stories that said we give gifts because gifts were brought to baby Jesus.
A few weeks ago someone was telling Addie the story of baby Jesus, and that he is the reason we celebrate Christmas. Beacuse of my belief, and my strong will to voice my opinion, I jumped up (and totally handled it the WRONG way) and proceeded to tell them that WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN JESUS WAS BORN AND WE DO NOT CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AND JESUS' BIRTHDAY. Like I said, I should have pulled out the Bible and showed the verses to back up my beliefs, but I didn't. I made the person mad. I should have taken that opportunity to show WHY we don't believe that and WHY we will be teaching Addie different. I should have used that opportunity to study the word, and I didn't. I am sorry for that.
I know that my beliefs are based upon my upbringing, but I have studied this subject on my own and came to the same conclusions. I urge you to do the same. Drown yourself in the Word and decide for yourself. That's all I ask. If you come to the same conclusions you have been taught, then that is fine. Who am I to judge?? (Matt. 7:1-2)
Now, on another note. I also believe that if the World is going to take a day to celebrate Jesus' birth and reflect on Him, who am I to tell you that is wrong? Romans 14:5 says (NIV), " One man considers one day more sacred than another, another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who reguards one day as special,, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we dies to the lord. So, wether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, Then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother> For we will all stand before God's judgement seat. It is written: " as surely as I live," says the lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' " So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." Then down into verse 22 it says, " so whatever you believe about these things keep between you and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin."
Along with my beliefs on alot of subjects, I believe I shouldn't condemn those who believe it is Jesus' birthday. Don't get me wrong, if you say it in front of me I will ask, " where in the Bible does it say to celebrate Jesus' birthday on December 25 (Christmas)?" I believe that if God wanted us to have a "Holiday" for Jesus' birth he would have said it clearly. But that doesn't mean you are wrong for taking that day to celebrate it, as long as you realized we don't know exactly when it was. I will not condemn you for your beliefs, and in return I ask that you don't condemn me for mine.
Isn't it alittle funny all the things we argue over? All the things in the world as we know it that weren't EXACTLY addressed in the Bible. Maybe the Bible mentions it briefly but doesn't give a RIGHT or WRONG answer. I think that is where God wanted us to be able to study his Word and decide for ourselves. That's where our Free will comes in. I can read the same verse as you and interept it totally different. I also believe that's why he put all the passages in there about not judging others, he knew it would come to this someday!
So as for me and my house, we will celebrate Christmas as just another holiday. A time for family and friends to get together and enjoy each others company. We will bake all kinds of wonderful food, listen to Christmas music, put up decorations, and go to bed hoping Santa will bring us toys to play with (Addie of course!). When that day comes that Addie asks me why we don't celebrate it as Jesus' birthday? I will give her the Bible and tell her to look for herself, and when she has reached a decision we would sit down as a family and talk about it. I plan on using the same method for each of her questions, pre-martial sex, dancing (I'm sure all you Church of Christ people are cracking up at that one), dating in general, abortion, and all those other political issues that I will have SO much fun arguing with her about :) (again everyone that knows me STOP LAUGHING!!). I am not here to judge you for your beliefs, I just ask that you go to the Bible and come up with your own beliefs. Don't JUST believe what people have told you all your life, check and make sure it's true. I bet there is at least one thing in there that you were taught that you won't agree with :)
Okay my last thought on this is if God wanted us to celebrate Jesus' birthday on a certain date he would have told us, and told us how to worship, and it would be clear. Just as it is clear the first church took the Lord's Supper every first day of the week (Acts 20:7). That they reflected on Jesus' death and Resurrection EVERY first day of the week. I am reminded also of the story of the Ark of the Covenant. God told them how to built it specifically, how to move it etc (Exodus 25). It was against the law to touch the Ark of the Covenant for any reason. When one of the oxen stumbled, Uzza, a servant of David, reached out his hand to steady it and God struck him dead (I Chronicles 13: 10-11)! I mean Uzza was probably just reacting without thinking and God struck him dead, because he said NO One was supposed to touch it. For this is why I try my hardest to do EXACTLY what God has said. Not to add, or take away. Where the Bible is silent, I will remain silent.
Again, these are MY opinions on the subject. I will not judge you or condemn you for what you believe. We should just leave the Judging up to God :)Love you all!
Merry Christmas!
2 comments:
I have always assumed that most people were well aware that Dec. 25is not necessary the exact date that Jesus Christ was born on. However, that day has just been designated to celebrate His birth. The angels celebrated His birth. The wise men celebrated His birth. The shepherds celebrated His birth. There would be no death without any birth. The key is to keep it in perspective and balance. He was born for a purpose – to die for the sins of mankind. In fact, this was said of Him before His birth and even at the time of His birth through prophecies.
I do not see any personal or biblical value in the use of Santa within this celebration. I do not see Santa as representing a truth or type that teaches our children more about Christ or the meaning of the season. I think he is just a fun thing for our children to believe in, if only for a little while.
However, if you study out the origins of the Christmas tree you will see that in the beginning it was used as a tool to teach people concerning God, His truth, etc. Check it out on history.com or somewhere else. In time people just begin to keep the tradition without passing down the meaning and teaching to their children or others. This is necessary for it to have any spiritual value or reason to do it.
I personally don't think that the person telling Addie that Jesus is the reason for the season is wrong. As I said before, we don't know when Jesus was born, but I think it is wonderful that our secular country celebrates the birth of our Lord. Should we celebrate his birth every day? Absolutely. But I think there is nothing wrong with a designated day to specifically celebrate Jesus' birth, whenever it may have been.
Love you, girl!
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