Advent-tageous

How do you prepare for Christmas? Some put up Christmas lights the day after Halloween.

Long-range planners began shopping for Christmas last January during the post-Christmas sales. Others waited until July. But what many prepare for is a holiday that could be called ‘Giftmas,’ the tradition of exchanging gifts. In many homes it’s all about the presents.

For an increasing number of Americans the Christmas traditions center on putting up pretty lights, a tree and then worrying about what gifts to put under the tree. But if a gift exchange is the only point of Christmas, we’ve settled for second best.

“Now hold on just a minute! Are you trying to ruin family Christmas celebrations?”

No--just the opposite. I’m suggesting that, to improve your family’s Christmas celebration, it might be advantageous to add a new tradition. Would you consider that?

If something is ‘advantageous’ it’s for your benefit. It’s beneficial, valuable or profitable. So if you’d like to use the next three weeks to improve your Christmas, make them Advent-tageous.

What’s Advent? Last Sunday began the season of ‘Advent.’ It’s a time when many Christians and churches intentionally focus on a 2,000-year-old event--an event that divided history and unites Christians.

Of course I’m speaking of the birth of Jesus Christ. His birth divides time into B.C. (“Before Christ) and A.D. (“Anno Domini” – Latin for “in the year of our Lord”). And Christ’s birth unites Christians because all agree it’s the defining moment in history.

‘Advent’ means the arrival of something. So Advent is a four-week period preparing to celebrate the arrival of Jesus 2,000 years ago.

Once Thanksgiving is over, most people remark about how fast the year is going and how “Christmas will be here before you know it.” Well celebrating Advent is a way to get ready and think about what happened when Christ was born. Why his birth was important.

Without Christ, Christmas celebrations become about us--the decorations, the food and the gifts we like. Advent helps keep Christmas about Christ.

But even if you focus your Christmas celebration on the birth of Jesus, you won’t necessarily have Christmas joy. Why not?

Well, why do we celebrate the birth of someone who lived 2000 years ago? We don’t celebrate the births of Plato, Aristotle or even Socrates. So why celebrate Jesus’ birthday?

Because Christmas is the day “God moved into our neighborhood.” That’s significant.

Jesus came to show us what God is like and what he wants—a relationship with us. And he not only showed us, his life and death made it possible. Possible for the sin that separates us from God to be forgiven. Possible for us to become children of God.

So Jesus’ birthday is significant to you if your faith and trust are in him as your Savior. Otherwise, why bother celebrating Christmas? Until Christ has changed your life, his birthday is no different than other day. But as a child of God you want to celebrate—because he’s family!

Now I’m not telling you what to do. I’m just thinking about how Christmas can be more of a benefit to us than just increasing our stash of stuff. One way is to make it Advent-tageous.

Here’s a suggestion: Attend a church that celebrates Advent and introduces people to Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Then give yourself to Christ and become God’s child. When you do, you won’t believe the joy you’ll have at Christmas!

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!