So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the
people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his
works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that
no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. Heb 4:9-11 ESV
Christian
holy days are not required in the Bible. In Romans 14, we are specifically
commanded not to keep any holy day or to
look down on those who do not celebrate them.
But there is nothing in the Bible that condemns us taking special days
as holy days.
Holy Days,
or Sabbaths, are meant to be a blessing, not a burden. In deciding when to
celebrate Christmas we should look at our motivation. Do we keep Sundays or
other holy days for God's sake, or for our own? Are they times for getting
closer to God, or do they distract us from Him?
Christmas
in our time has changed over the years.
Hundreds of years ago, Christmas was observed as a holy day. Christ was the center of the season.
But,
unfortunately Christmas changed. The
Christian elements of Christmas have been eclipsed by secular elements. The holy day as become a holiday—a vacation
from work and a time for having fun.
Secular
Christmas may not be holy, but it is still a time to enjoy the good things God
gave us. But today, Christmas for many
people is not even restful. It has
become a hollow day—not holy, not restful, just a frantic rush to get things
done.
It’s time
for us to rethink our Christmas rush.
Stop buying so many presents.
Curb our desires to overeat and over-decorate.
Christmas
is a Sabbath for the Christian--a time of worship, rest and reflection. Don't
make a big deal of the secular and commercial aspects of the season, but
instead concentrate on two neglected aspects.
The first
is stillness. At some time during the month of December,
make time to be quiet and still. “Be
still and know that I am God.” If your holiday planning doesn’t allow you time
for stillness, then you are too busy.
This month would be a good time to renew your prayer life, reread the
gospels, all of them, and take time to think how God has blessed you.
The second
is worship. Spend time among God's
people. Most of us would never think of
going through a Christmas without trying to be with family, but many spend
Christmas away from God's house. Come
and join other believers at the Table of the Lord, every chance we get.
You don’t
have to celebrate Christmas. But if you do celebrate it not as a hollow day or
even as a holiday but as a holy day, sacred to the Lord. Give Him this time, and see what He can do
for you.
"Father,
teach me how to set aside time for resting in You. Free me from my busyness, so I can discover what is really
important in Your presence, in Jesus' name, Amen"
