Christmas is not your birthday.
Isn’t it amazing? We do treat Christmas like it’s our birthday. We indulge ourselves in almost every way–eating, drinking, buying expensive gifts. Christmas has become one big birthday party that we throw for ourselves.
Have we forgotten that Christmas is about the Good News? That we really should think of it as Jesus’ birthday? Maybe we should ask Jesus what He wants for His birthday.
What would Jesus say that He wanted? The New Testament is fairly plain about what Jesus would say. Listen to His words. He came “to seek and to save that which was lost.” “Inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these my brothers, you have done it unto me.” That almost sounds like a birthday wish: “What I want for my birthday is for other people to know me and be treated like you would treat me.”
What will you do for Jesus’ birthday? Let me give you two possible suggestions.
First, give to make Christ known to the nations. At my church, that means giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. It helps send 5000 missionaries and provides for their 4000 children. These are people who have followed God’s call to take the Good News to the world.
Give Jesus a great birthday gift. Help someone around the world hear the Gospel.
It’s a great work. The vision of the IMB is “a multitude from every language, people, tribe and nation knowing and worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ.” Last year 360,879 people were baptized through the ministry of our missionaries and the churches with whom they work.
Shouldn’t each of us give sacrificially to complete this vision?
Second, help someone locally make it through hard times. Pick a charity or organization that cares for and reaches out to hurting people.
On Christmas eve, our church takes a benevolence offering that helps hurting people throughout the year.
Our local Rotary club provides meals for hundreds of people on Christmas Day. What a blessing for homebound and lonely people.
There are many wonderful churches and charities that help people locally.
What will you do for Jesus’ birthday? Please leave a comment below.
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