In a season marked by awe-inspiring ambiance, making our hearts soon, and boldly declaring “Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward Men,” why does there seem to be this underlying tension bubbling just below the surface? Better yet, why does this jarring and unsettling static grow louder each year, drowning out peace and unity and replacing it with chaos and division?
Friend, if it doesn’t feel like the most wonderful time of the year and it’s causing your inner Scrooge to emerge rather than your Cindy Lou Who, then you could be getting sucked into the cultural Christmas war.
Sadly, this silent war has been raging for centuries, but now it seems to be taking on a more personal and strategic attack. While many are crumbling under the weight of politics, legalism, materialism, and current-event conflicts, it’s caused the Christmas spirit to become lost in the shuffle. As believers, this should break our hearts.
While we may have the best intentions to guard our hearts and not get our families involved, truth be told, we are already in the middle of it! Oh, but do take heart because God does not take this “war” lightly! As a matter of fact, He is already fighting on your behalf (Exodus 14:14). We just have to have faith and trust.
So, as we head into this sweet holiday season, let’s first seek to understand why this is happening and the dire consequences that can stem from getting mixed up in this war. Then, let’s readily prepare to stand firm in our convictions, rely on our faith, and hold fast to the hope and peace Jesus offers us.
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The enemy’s main goal in this life is to stir up strife among God’s people. Basically, if we get at odds with one another, then he can swiftly step aside and let us use our self-righteousness, legalism, and even beliefs to become mass weapons of destruction!
Paul references the sinful lifestyles of broken and messy humans in Ephesians 2:2. He further notes that Satan has been deceiving people from the very beginning, starting in the Garden of Eden, when he used Eve to coax Adam into tasting the forbidden fruit, sugar coating it as tasting oh so “good” (Genesis 3:6).
We need to recognize that the enemy still uses similar tactics and pins us against our brothers and sisters, family members, and friends with the sole purpose of wreaking havoc. That said, of course, the deceiver is going to attack the heart of a Christian during Christmastime. After all, it’s his way of getting us distracted, causing upset, and tempting us with false delights. We mustn’t take the bait and be privy to his deceit. With that, the cultural Christmas war generally happens in one (or sometimes more) of three ways.
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There is a reason we call it the “Christmas rush” and not the “Christmas rest!” Between baking, decorating, attending multiple events, volunteering, extra shopping trips, planning, prepping, and dealing with toddler meltdowns, did I forget anything? I feel that I have… maybe the stress that surrounds it all, yes, that’s it! The holiday rush can easily steal our joy. Sigh. But, yes, this is a scheme from the enemy.
We can easily place this undo pressure on ourselves to throw an elaborate and perfect Christmas, but God merely wants our hearts. The joy of the season comes from finding simple rest in Him and rejoicing in His presence (Philippians 4:4).
If this season is being overrun by stress, you feel overwhelmed, or there is pressure to “do more,” take a step back, pause, and pray. Invite God into that place and ask for Him to calm your anxious heart and refill you with His joy.
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If you haven’t noticed, Christmas, along with many other holidays, has become the latest source of debate, stirring up contention, especially in the social arena. Several Christian influencers have been known to share their statements as to why they don’t celebrate Christmas, bringing in historical facts and heavy convictions, only to drop the mic and leave the comment section roaring with calamity.
Friends, we cannot get pulled into this because the enemy’s hand is all over it. Sadly, Satan loves this social bantering because it causes God’s people to wave their hands in self-righteousness and fall into legalism. Which leads me to ask, “Are we any different than the Pharisees at this point?”
The bottom line is this: If you feel strong convictions not to celebrate a certain holiday and the Holy Spirit is moving you in a certain direction, you must comply and obey God. However, that is a personal decision and one that is between your heart and God. If you feel the need to post or share, do so peacefully, and always seek God’s wisdom and discernment first.
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There is a lot going on in our world today, and it isn’t hard to see that our nation is hurting. We’ve had quite a bumpy road as of late, haven’t we? Geesh. Between internal conflicts, wars overseas, natural disasters, and brutal politics, many Americans are heading into this holiday with a heavy heart. Some may even be questioning how they will provide a nice meal or gifts for their families.
Honestly, it’s easy to shift our eyes off the real meaning of this season and focus on the pain and tension rather than gather together with loved ones to peacefully celebrate our Savior. It’s a bit ironic but true. Our humanity kicks in, and before we know it, the enemy has caught our attention once again.
As faithful followers of Christ, if we aren’t intentional about our time with God and hold a pliable heart and are willing to receive His goodness, then we will quickly succumb to the ways of this world. This Christmastime, disconnect from the world and reconnect to Jesus. Whether that looks like doing a Christmas devotional, listening to Christ-centered Christmas songs, using an advent wreath, or meeting up with family and friends and letting go of the talk of politics, just extending love, joy, and peace.
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The good news is that Christmas will never truly be canceled! While there will continue to be debates on the holiday’s origins and materialism will try to foreshadow the “real gift” of Christmas, as believers, we value the true story of a baby born in a manger that came to save a sinful world.
As we set up our nativity scenes this year, let’s place our sights on the most extraordinary gift God could have ever given us! Read Luke 2 and allow those words to fall on a soft heart as if to receive what God is saying to you in this story. Listen to how each and every character played a vital role in Jesus coming into this world, and how their faith gave us a new life!
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Mary was obviously startled when Gabriel delivered the shocking news of her unexpected pregnancy. But her faith allowed her to trust in God, and she was willing and ready to be His humble servant (Luke 1:29-38). Can you imagine how she must have felt carrying the Son of God? Talk about placing faith over fear!
Then, in Matthew 1:18-25, we see Joseph also had fears, but when the angel of the Lord came to him in a dream, he immediately protected and cared for Mary until Jesus was born. Their bold acts of faith give us a beautiful depiction of how we, too, can lean into our faith and trust God.
Is there an area in your life where you need to put your faith into action and trust God? Come clean before Him and revive your faith this Christmas.
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Quite possibly the best part of Christmas is the unending hope Jesus brings and radiates this time of year, reminding us that this is not our forever home (Hebrews 13:14)! While this world is consumed with treasures that fade away and offer false fruits that tickle the senses, bending us to sin, this season calls for us to realign our hearts and store up our treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20). Why wouldn’t we want to share that love, joy, peace, and hope with others?
As faithful followers, we have a choice. We can either bend to the cultural war that the world has placed on Christmas, or we can rest in the truth that Jesus came to give us another option—one that doesn’t come with striving, busyness, or conflicts but rather comes with rest, hope, and peace. Thank you, Jesus! This Christmas, let’s celebrate the wonders of His birth and the majestic nature of our good and faithful Father.
"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isiah 9:6
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