Sadly, for others it conjures up different kinds of images financial pressure, physical exhaustion, loneliness, braving bitter winds and bustling crowds. I have good news for you. It's possible to create the first kind of Christmas and avoid the second. What's the secret? It's the principle of One Life and One Law.
What do I mean by that?
The first thing to remember this Christmas season is that we only have one life, not two. Of course, mentally, we would all agree that we each have only one life to live. Yet, when it comes to our daily lives, most of us tend to compartmentalize ourselves into two distinct segments.
We'll call the first segment our "Spiritual Life." It consists of the time we spend reading the Bible, praying, worshipping God, going to church or ministering to someone in need. We feel like God is pleased with us when we do these things.
Then there's the second segment which I call "Natural Life." Our natural lives consist of everything we do that we don't consider spiritual: washing our hair, brushing our teeth, preparing meals, doing laundry, washing dishes, buying groceries, working and sleeping. Our "Natural Life" creates a dilemma for us, because we view these activities as less pleasing to God.
The truth is, we only have one life. Jesus' life is the example we're to pattern ours by, and His life was never divided. He said that He only did what pleased the Father. That means His whole life pleased God. And your whole life will please God if you obey I Corinthians 10:31, "So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God" (Amplified).
If you keep that scripture in mind, you'll see that living a Christ-centered life isn't just squeezing devotional time into your day. It means you bring Jesus into everything. When you do, you'll discover that your whole life has purpose not just a few select hours each week.
You'll Never Again Grit Your Teeth To Face Another Holiday Season
Let me encourage you that living one life before God will be the most liberating thing you've ever experienced. You will never have just "another Christmas." You won't walk out of His presence when you shop. Instead, you'll determine to do your Christmas shopping as a manifestation of God's love and your love. You'll invite Jesus to go with you and guide your every step and purchase.
There are two things about Christmas that we sometimes forget. First, it is the preparation that takes most of our time and energy, yet, preparation is godly! Preparation is a gradual process, and it's what God is about in us. He is not just preparing us for eternity. He is preparing us for every season of our lives.
That's why when I prepare for the Christmas season, I know I'm acting like God. I prepare food to the glory of God, and I do the same thing when I prepare the table. God said the fullness of the earth is our inheritance. I enjoy demonstrating that inheritance with a representation of God's bounty on my table flowers that reflect the glory of God's creation and platters laden with food provided by God's hand.
The second thing we often forget is that holidays are a God-given opportunity to bring a sense of security and continuity to our families. This is especially true of single-parent homes where divorce and division have broken the hearts of children and adults alike. Making memories is one way to create a sense of wholeness.
One way to make lasting memories is to do something out of the ordinary. If you ordinarily eat on paper plates or everyday dishes, dust off the china and silver! If you don't have those, save your money and invest in dishes that reflect the Christmas season. They don't have to be expensive to be festive and fun.
Food is another great way to make family memories. On Christmas, one of our traditions is serving fruitcake and my grandmother's Charlotte Russe, a wonderful pudding dessert. Now that Mac and I have been blessed with grandchildren we've started new traditions for them. One is that we have a birthday cake for Jesus. There is no better way to establish the reason for Christmas in a child's mind than through Jesus' very own birthday celebration.
According to Acts 17:28, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being " That is another scripture that shows that we aren't to live a divided life. One way to avoid the trap of a divided life is to enjoy every moment. This is something the Lord has talked to me about a lot over the years. So often, when your children are babies you just can't wait for them to talk. You're so looking forward to that milestone that you don't enjoy the moment. Then, you can't wait for them to walk, to ride a bicycle, start school, and grow up.
This Christmas season, make a quality decision to live one life before God and enjoy every moment!
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