The Redemptive Power of Christmas

And why we feel let down by the most wonderful time of the year.

The holidays. You may dread them. You may love them. But what you may not realize is that you have come to expect this time year as a time of redemption.

This past year you have accomplished a lot of things. You were busy. Probably busier that any year before. You rushed from thing to thing, trying to enjoy life but finding yourself falling farther and farther behind. Then you decide that this December will be different!

This is the time of year that you are going to slow down and enjoy the season. You will spend time snuggled by the fireplace, reading a book. You will carve out this month as time to spend with your family. Your kids will behave and be angels, because that is what you want from them. Plus, Santa is watching! They have to be good, right? You will donate your time to a charity because that is what this season is about: giving. You felt that this time of the year was going to redeem the rest of the year.

Then life hits you. The TV promises that black Friday and cyber Monday will allow you to get the deals of a lifetime. You rush out after work to find the perfect gift that will make their eyes glow with appreciation. Your schedule fills up with holiday concerts, cutting down Christmas trees, winter sports schedules and holiday obligations to your work, family and neighbors. Oh, don’t forget about putting up the lights! Your whole neighborhood loves that light display. Before you know it, the holiday season is just like the rest of the year.

Maybe you haven’t allowed your schedule to get out of hand. However, this is the Christmas that you are finally going to have a joyful time with your Dad. Sure, the rest of the year has been hard between you. That doesn’t matter because it is the holidays. You will get together, eat a nice meal, open presents and all will be ok.

When the time comes, a hurtful comment spirals the whole affair out of control.

Or maybe you have vowed to yourself that you are going to keep from yelling at your kids this holiday season. You are sure that your kids are scared every time you raise your voice. You can see it in their eyes. So, you promise yourself that you will keep your temper.

Then it comes time to get the house ready for company and they just aren’t listening. You grow more frustrated and agitated each time you check on their progress cleaning their rooms. Finally, you lose your temper and you start yelling.

It is common to expect that this time of year is going to be magical. That all will go perfectly and everyone will have amazing memories to look back upon. However, we are all real people with real lives. We have real shortcomings that cause pain for others and ourselves. We expect that we can redeem ourselves in a short period of time by making everything perfect. And then we fail.

But here’s the thing, you can’t make things perfect. The perfect Christmas won’t exist in your life. Don’t be discouraged by this! Find encouragement in the fact that it doesn’t have to be perfect. Find encouragement that you don’t need to redeem the whole year in a couple of weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

If you want true redemption, look to the first Christmas. Look at the present that was wrapped in swaddling cloth and born in a manger. That was the perfect Christmas and it happen amongst the dirt and poop of a stable. The most perfect gift ever given to us was there and hardly anyone noticed. This is redemption that can impact you for forever. This redemption won’t let you down. Will life be perfect? No, because we aren’t perfect. At the same time, God’s love is perfect.

I challenge you to look at the manger differently this season. Think about your year, your failures, your successes, and what your expectations are for this season. Then consider that choosing to accept the gift of Jesus can help you. Think about Him as your gift, given to you to redeem you. This Christmas season is filled with redemption, just not the kind that you were expecting. It is not for the past year, but for you. You can choose Him and to change in His light. Are you interested in that kind of redemption?