The Christmas Spirit

The Christmas Spirit

            It is December 9 today. I recently read several postings on Facebook from people who were discussing the fact that they did not feel the Christmas spirit yet. Their comments made me ponder: Just what is the Christmas spirit and how do you get it? What causes it and is there anything we can do to get it to come? Here are some of my reflections on the topic.  

            Just what is the Christmas spirit; how can it best be described? My description would certainly include these: a feeling of peace, love and joy. Other words I would use would be: thankfulness, contentment, a sense of happiness and belonging, loving others and feeling loved by them. How would you describe this rather illusive phenomenon called ‘the Christmas Spirit?’

            Have you ever wondered what causes these feelings we call ‘the Christmas spirit?’ Since feelings are caused by thoughts, if I have these ‘positive Christmas-Spirit feelings,’ then I must be thinking some sort of good thoughts. So, it appears obvious to me if I want to have these feelings, I must start with an examination of what I am thinking. Clue: if I think negative feelings, the Christmas spirit flies out of my life! But what if my life is full of things that are negative? Do I just ignore them and live in unreality? Obviously, the answer is no. But what I must learn how to do is to focus on the positive things in my life. And the best way to do that is to think about what God did for me by sending His son that first Christmas morning. There it is. Love. Forgiveness. Purpose.

            Another suggestion: The Christmas Spirit might best be thought of as the Spirit of Christmas, God’s demonstration of His great love for us. I think we need to recall often that God really does love us, no matter how rotten our life might seem! I can handle anything that life throws at me when I truly believe that “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son….” My role? To believe and receive. Here are some truths to believe:

1.     Happiness is not in the giving or receiving of gifts at Christmas, but whether we have received God’s gift of Jesus.

2.     Real treasures are not money or things, but people, memories, the promise of the presence and power of God.

3.     Real joy comes from receiving God’s love and giving Him my life in return.

4.     God’s purpose for creating me was for relationship with me. I will never find peace or joy apart from that.

5.     When I try to find the Christmas spirit anywhere but in my relationship with God, I may have a short-lived emotional high, but I will miss the real thing.

            So, what must I do this Christmas season? How can I gain and maintain the true ‘feeling of Christmas?’ It is really not all that hard, except for the fact that we like to try other things, the phony and plastic replicas of the real thing. Wonder why we do that? It is really smarter to believe and do the right things, isn’t it?

1.     Take time to ponder, really ponder on how much God loves you.

2.     Read the Christmas story again, slowly, and prayerfully put yourself into the story.

3.     Use music to help you worship the One who came to die for you and to live in you.

4.     Do as the Savior did: go about doing good. Focus on making others happy and watch how your own happiness level increases.

5.     Refuse to throw any pity-parties. Focusing on our own problems instead of the grace and mercy of God will chase the Spirit of Christmas away.

6.     Praise the Lord for His willingness to come to earth as a baby, to live as a human, to die for your sins, to rise so you can count on being raised one day, and for inviting you to be His child. And thank Him for the Spirit who dwells in your heart.

Remember this:  when God’s Spirit is filling you and controlling you, your ‘Christmas Spirit’ will be obvious to you and to others. And you will then enjoy this great peace, love and joy, during the Christmas season …. and all year long!