If your birthday is December 25th, unfortunately, I am not talking about you. Unless Jesus is reading this…then…I am talking about You. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God that came to save us from our sins. God came to earth to live a life like ours.
The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! (Luke 2:11 NLT)
Everything about this season revolves around new life. New life in the form of a baby boy placed in a manger. New life in that the Living God came to walk among us. New life in the salvation that Christ’s birth, and ultimately His death and resurrection, provides. New life in the form of our renewed relationship with our Creator.
So how do we celebrate this new life? We take the time to recognize the blessings in our lives. We enhance our lives with gifts, affection, and special meals. We spend time with those that mean the most to us. And, sometimes as an afterthought, we take the time to think about the new life that this season brings.
However, there are people out there that don’t have the same blessings that we do. There are those that don’t have gifts to give or receive, loved ones to share affection, or any food to eat whatsoever. They may not feel loved, cared for, or important. They may not know the hope that comes with the new life that Christ brought on that first Christmas.
It is our job to show them that hope. It is our job to represent new life to them by giving of ourselves: our time, money, energy, and love. We can give gifts, give food, volunteer, and spend time with people that need these things to understand that they are loved and that Christ provides a hope they may never have known existed. If we choose not to be Christ to those in need, how will they ever know who He really is?
Let’s give Jesus some new friends for His birthday. Let’s introduce people to the new life that we celebrate each Christmas.