What Christmas Means To Me

Though the title might sound like an essay assignment from school days long ago, I hope that as you read it inspires something much more productive in your own heart ...

 

As a young man growing up I had many opportunities to experience both physical and emotional pain. And as a father of seven, I've had opportunities to make sacrifices that cost me dearly for those that I love that they have no real concept of... and I thank God for them all. You see, I realize that I have emotions because I am made in His image ... and that fact along with the examples of His own emotion displayed in His word tell me that He has them. Being very familiar with the pain of my past has given me the ability to be sensitive to the pain of others. So I can identify with much of the pain that others feel. But so much more importantly, it gives me the ability to empathize to a small degree with the pain of my God.

So every year, my heart made tender by the cost of my own experiences provides me with the opportunity to try to imagine the cost to my God for the provision He made to save my own humble and unworthy life.

Try to imagine the heart wrenching and unimaginable pain of a father having to watch his own precious child suffer both physical and emotional humiliation and torture at the hands of heartless and wicked men who would then murder him in slow and painful agony. But as He watched, the Father also knew that He had the power to stop it at any time ... but He didn't ... in order to save you and me. A price had to be paid in order to satisfy the Father's righteous wrath for our sin ... and His Son came willingly.

But then also imagine the unfathomable cost in humility and suffering to the highest of all divine royalty - the only Son of the living God - to step down from His highest place of glory and honor among the host of heaven to enter the lowly and filthy world of men. I know that He did it without hesitation and He did it in the lowest form, in the lowest place and the lowest way He could determine ... and He did it knowing full well that He would suffer in the flesh of men their worst terrors and die the most agonizing death men fear ... just to save you and me.

Now this isn't a Christmas time imagination, it's real. It's a hard core part of what we as Christians celebrate in Christmas. But don't be deceived- I'm not wrapped up in pain at Christmas time. I'm overcome with appreciation and with deep gratitude - because I have a mere fleeting grasp - a wisp of understanding of what it cost to provide me with the incomparable gift of reconciliation with my God and the hope of eternal life with Him. So I'm shaken with both humility and joy to the very core of my being at the thought that the very God who created me and knew all of my shortcomings before He even gave me life... still values me to be worth the cost.

This is Christmas - both humbling and joyous, and celebrated with the deepest gratitude. In truth it has nothing to do with the money of men, or shopping or pretty paper. It was purchased with the blood of a God - the only God ... and wrapped in the deepest love of His heart. So I am forever grateful and forever in His debt for the price that He paid for the gift of His deepest love and moved to the deepest fiber of my being..

This ... is what Christmas means to me ...


I pray for you, whoever and wherever you are, that the full weight of the value that God Himself places on you fills your heart with immense joy and gratitude and that your relationship with Him becomes ever more intimate and precious to you as you become ever more aware of who He is and His great love for you. The coming of the great King of Kings Himself on our behalf signifies the presentation of the greatest gift that has and ever could be given ... and it has our name on it. May the praise and gratitude of His people rise in the fullest possible measure, in spirit and in truth to bring a smile to His holy face and touch His great heart with gladness.