“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
We are rapidly approaching one of the two most important days of the year for Christianity – Christmas! The other, of course, is Easter. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, the day when the holy Son of God entered our earthly world to be among us. The other celebrates Jesus’ victory over death and His resurrection, the day when He left our world, secured everlasting life for those who put their faith in Him, and who now reigns in Heaven over all the earth! These two days are universally known around the world, even among those who do not acknowledge that Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6).
These are also the two days of the year when many people (mostly nominal Christians) will visit churches. Some likely attend out of tradition, others to please family members, and others out of a desire to reconnect with God. Whatever the reason, they hear the good news of Jesus!
But what about those who don’t come to church? Christmas is also a perfect time for Christians to tell others in our community what Christmas means and to share the good news about Jesus and the birth of a savior, just like the shepherds did (Luke 2:17)!
In America, Christmas has been secularized for many years and its true meaning has been lost in much of our culture. Christmas is recognized more today as Christmas trees and decorations, Santa Claus, Elf on the Shelf, secular Christmas movies, and non-Christian Christmas songs rather than by the birth of a savior and its meaning for the world. How tragic!
How did it get this way? It happened because we as American Christians let it happen. We allowed the culture to define Christmas as being about love, family, giving to others, and traditions, rather than about the birth of a savior! These are not bad things, they are just not the meaning of Christmas! As a result, we need to speak up and remind the culture what the true meaning of Christmas is!
However, many Christians are now afraid to witness their faith or share the gospel. Our culture in America has turned against God and the Church, and those who openly practice or share their faith can lose their job, lose their friends, or even lose their life (e.g. – church shootings). Satan is behind the scenes working to intimidate Christians to keep us quiet in order to promote his godless agenda (1 Peter 5:8). And sadly, many Christians comply and stay silent, even during the Christmas season. That’s not what Joseph Mohr meant when he wrote the Christmas carol, Silent Night!
Although it is much harder today to speak our minds and witness our faith, it is still possible. We still have freedom of speech in our nation, but we do not have freedom of consequences! The intimidation is real, and the potential consequences as mentioned above are real.
But the real question is this: What are we afraid of? Isn’t our faith in Jesus enough? Don’t we trust Jesus to take care of us and provide for us? Isn’t that what faith in Christ is supposed to mean in the life of a Christian? God promises to “never leave us or forsake us” (Deuteronomy 31:6). Jesus said in John 14:1, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.” And the psalmist proclaims, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4)
When we are afraid to speak up, aren’t we really admitting that either we doubt God’s Word or fear losing our earthly treasures and comforts? Do we not believe that God will still provide for us? Do we not trust that He will walk with us and give us His strength and courage to endure our trials? Because if so, then we are merely Christians in name only, and our faith is weak and powerless. This makes me sad when I read about the incredible faith of persecuted Christians in places like North Korea, the Middle East, and Cuba (read about them in Voice of the Martyrs at www.vom.org).
Now is the time for all Christians in America to speak up and remind others what Christmas is really about. We need to greet others with Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays. We need to share the Christmas story, not our favorite Christmas cookie recipe. And we need to witness our faith in our Christmas cards & letters and social media postings, and whenever we have the opportunity in conversation with others. But we must do so with “gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).
And let us not be afraid of what mortal man can do to us. Instead, let us trust God completely as Daniel did (Daniel 6), let us speak the truth boldly as Stephen did (Acts 7), and let us hold firmly to the faith in Christ that we profess (1 Corinthians 16:13).
If we don’t, who will?