It’s that time of year again. Decorative signs, advertisements, and commercials encourage us with the familiar messages:
“Just Believe”
“Have Faith”
“A Season of Hope”
At first glance these tidings may warm our hearts as we go about our way, humming Christmas music as we shop. Yet, as I stop to reflect upon these phrases, I wonder, What exactly do they mean? Each of these statements is missing an essential element - the object of one’s belief, faith or hope.
One could read these messages and easily interpret that we are to “Just believe in Santa” or “Have faith in the goodness of mankind” or this is “A season of hope” because we are looking forward to lovely times with families or gifts around the tree.
Understood in this way, these messages fall flat and bring little encouragement. Believing in Santa can be somewhat unsettling when you consider the songs we sing about him:
He's making a list
And checking it twice
Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
You Better Watch Out (Santa Claus is Coming to Town) from paulaldrichcomedy on GodTube.
Isn’t it rather sobering to consider a large bearded man, dressed all in red velvet and smoking a pipe, keeping watch over us to see whether we’ve been good enough? Such a Jolly Old Elf’s works-based righteousness might be more cause for fear and trembling than happiness and joy.
The same is true as we consider placing our faith in mankind or hoping in family gatherings. As we look around our world, terrorism, racism, greed, discord, and disease dominate the news. We are a human race plagued with many struggles, and often these show up in our own families. And, it’s not just the world “out there”, but also the person I look at in the mirror that causes me to pause before placing my faith in mankind or hoping in perfect family gatherings.
These phrases are problematic because they are incomplete. It’s not enough to simply be a hopeful person or be full of faith. It’s essential for us to consider exactly where we are placing our belief, faith, and hope. The object of our faith is the essential substance of it. When we loose sight of the actual meaning of our faith, then we lose the very thing that is able to sustain it.
The joy of the Christmas message is so much richer, deeper, and more beautiful than any other story that has ever been told. Glory was wrapped in flesh and dwelt among us, so that we could be wrapped in righteousness and dwell with God. Jesus lived a perfect life so that He could be the perfect sacrifice for all that is wrong both in our own lives and in the world.
Without Jesus our belief has no merit, our faith has no basis, and hope has no anchor. In Jesus, we find the joy of believing. In Jesus, we find the substance of our faith. In Jesus, we know this to be a season of hope.
As I rush to and fro, I hope to hear songs reminding me of the object of my faith. I want to be humming about Jesus, singing the gospel to myself and others:
God rest ye merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay.
Remember, Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas day.
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of Comfort and joy!
The Reliques - Christmas Mashup - Mary Did You Know - Joy To The World and More! from the-reliques on GodTube.
These are the true tidings of comfort and joy: Believe in Jesus. Have Faith in Jesus. Hope in Jesus. The object of our faith is the substance of our joy.
Melissa Kruger serves as Women's Ministry Coordinator at Uptown Church in Charlotte, North Carolina and is the author of The Envy of Eve: Finding Contentment in a Covetous World (Christian Focus, 2012). Her husband Mike is the president of Reformed Theological Seminary, and they have three children. You can follow her on Twitter @MelissaBKruger.
(Article first published December 18, 2014)
A Prayer for Hope and Wonder This Christmas
Dear God, help me experience Christmas wonder on this holy evening. May I feel awe for the ultimate gift you’ve given humanity. Reach out to me so I can perceive your wonderful presence with me. Help me perceive the everyday miracles of your work around me during this most wonderful time of the year.
May the light of hope you offer help me transcend my worries and inspire me to trust you. Light broke through the darkness of night as angels announced Jesus Christ’s birth on the first Christmas. As I look at Christmas lights tonight, may I remember the wonder of that Christmas, when shepherds received that good news from your messengers. Let every burning candle and twinkling light bulb in my home remind me that you are the light of the world. When I’m outside this evening, remind me to look up at the sky. Let the stars I see help me ponder the wondrous Star of Bethlehem that guided people to you. This Christmas Eve, may I see you in a new light because of wonder.
As I savor the wonderful foods of Christmas, may I be inspired to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). When I eat a variety of wondrous foods at Christmas dinner tonight, remind me of your awesome creativity and generosity. Let the Christmas candy and cookies I eat remind me of the sweetness of your love. I’m thankful for the people around the table with me on this holy night. Bless us all as we celebrate together.
May the Christmas carols I listen to help me encounter wonder. Music is a universal language that goes beyond words to express your messages. When I hear Christmas music, let it resonate in my soul and evoke feelings of awe within me. Let me feel free to enjoy playful fun, with childlike wonder, when Christmas songs move me to do so. Encourage me to turn up the volume for Christmas carols, and even sing and dance along, with the wonderful awareness that you’re celebrating with me.
(Excerpted from 4 Inspiring Christmas Eve Prayers by Whitney Hopler)
A Prayer Thanking God for Christmas
Lord, I thank You for loving me so much that You would leave Your realms of majestic glory to come dwell among men. If it had not been for Your great love that compelled You to come and redeem me, today I would still be lost in sin. Because You loved me so much, You were willing to come to this earth and purchase my salvation. You were born as a baby in Bethlehem, yet You always existed, and You came here with a definite plan to save me from an eternity separated from You. Thank You so much for coming, Lord. Thank You for loving me enough to temporarily shed Your glory and become a man so You could pay for my sin and save me to the uttermost! I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen! - Rick Renner
(Excerpted from Powerful Christmas Prayers to Share Gratitude and Hope with Family and Friends)
If you enjoyed this article about Christmas tidings, you may enjoy the following articles on Christmas songs and greetings:
Top 20 Christian Christmas Songs: Holiday Music of Faith
4 Beloved Christmas Carols and the True Stories Behind Them
10 Classic Christmas Hymns to Renew Your Holiday Spirit
10 Glorious Advent Hymns: Rejoice in the Arrival of Christmas
The Problem with Our Holly Jolly Christmas Songs
10 Christmas Carols that Tell the Real Story of Christmas
Photo Credit: Getty Images/p_ponomareva
