At church this year, some of us wrote devotional articles and stories and we compiled them into a Christmas devotional. I’ve received several positive comments on my entry so I thought that I would post it here. Hopefully, it will give you some ideas for making your Christmas Day a little more special. If you would like to read, download, or print the complete devotional, you can get it from the Rich Fork Baptist Church web site. Think of this is as my gift to all my readers. I hope each of you have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Christmas Bites! Now don’t get me wrong—I love the Christmas season, and just about every element of it—but Christmas Day really bites.

Beginning around Thanksgiving we begin preparing to celebrate Christ’s birth. We decorate our homes with the beautiful elements of the season. We listen to Christmas music. We brave the crowded stores and buy gifts for our loved ones. We eat Christmas food and drink Christmas drinks. We watch Christmas television shows and attend Christmas programs, plays, and cantatas. We enjoy time with friends, family, and even co-workers at Christmas parties. We reverently practice traditions that we’ve had since childhood and pass them along to our own children. We create an environment in which our expectations grow more and more each day as Christmas Day approaches.

Suddenly—it’s Christmas morning. The presents are all opened. Then it’s Christmas afternoon and we’re relaxing after Christmas lunch. Finally, it’s Christmas evening and we’re getting ready for work the next day. What just happened, we think to ourselves. Did I miss something?

Indeed, perhaps we did miss something. Does a family eagerly anticipate the birth of a new child, and then on the day it is born, ask themselves, “What just happened? Did I miss something?” Never!

Just like that family with a new infant, we’ve eagerly anticipated this day for weeks. Unlike that family, however, we’ve seen this day as the end of our Christmas season, while they have seen the day of their child’s birth as a beginning of a new life. When we see Christmas Day as an end, there is no way that it can possibly meet the expectations we’ve been building for weeks. To overcome the “after Christmas blues and blahs,” we can allow that family with the new child to teach us to see Christmas Day as a beginning and not an end.

The family shares as much time as possible with their new child – When a new baby is born, everyone tries to share as much time with him or her as possible. Even though the baby can’t communicate much, the family enjoys just being in their presence. Christmas Day is a great day just to enjoy being in God’s presence—just to feel his ever abiding presence and love. Whether we are with others on this day, or alone, we can remember to relax and allow ourselves to recognize and enjoy His ever abiding presence.

The family plans for their future with their child – As this years draws to a close, this is a great time to begin planning the upcoming year. What does God want to accomplish through us? Perhaps He wants us to teach a class, go on a mission trip, increase our giving, begin a daily quiet time, or tell our family members about His love and salvation. A new year is coming up and God wants to accomplish great things through us!

The family tells others about their new child – A new baby is the single most important and most exciting thing that is happening in the family. They don’t just wait for people to ask, “What’s new?” they actively seek out everyone they know to tell them about the great joy that has come into their lives. We should also actively seek to share with our loved ones about the great joy that has come into your life through Jesus Christ.

The family is overwhelmed with the new responsibility – The family realizes they are responsible for raising this little child. Christ likewise has given us the incredible responsibility to live a life dedicated to Him. On Christmas Day, we remember not only his virgin birth, but also that He ultimately died for us, so surely we can strive to live for Him.

The family experiences awe at the new life that has been entrusted to them – As family and friends look at the new child, they are amazed and awed at God’s goodness and power—a power that can create a new life. On this day, and every day, we can likewise remain aware of what God has done in sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sin and bring us into fellowship with Him. What could possibly be more awesome than this?

Christmas day isn’t an end—it’s a beginning. It’s a NEW beginning. A King has been born unto us, a Savior, and His name is Jesus!