It's What You Celebrate

So the latest “controversy” appears to be over when it’s socially acceptable to celebrate Christmas.  On one side are people who love the Christmas season so much that they want to start celebrating it as soon as Halloween is over.  Their ready to hear the Christmas carols, put up the decorations, and start watching the Christmas movies on November 1, and would probably do it earlier if they could.

On the other side are people who say no, that’s not acceptable.  They love Christmas, too, but they say that there’s a time and a place for it.  They say we need to make sure we take the time to celebrate Thanksgiving.  We need to take the time to be thankful for all that God has done for us.  They believe that if we start celebrating Christmas too early, it won’t be special any more.  They believe we’ll lose the meaning of Christmas if we don’t wait until December to celebrate it.

What do I think?  I think you should do whatever you want.  We all have enough rules that we have to follow in this world without adding more rules to them.  If you want to start celebrating Christmas on November 1, go ahead.  In fact, if you want to celebrate Christmas in October or September, it’s fine with me.  And if you want to wait until December to start, that’s fine, too.  That’s what I personally prefer--much as I like Christmas music, I’d get tired of it by Christmas if I started listening to it this early.  But that’s just me.  If you won’t get tired of it, then fine.  Start listening to Joy to the World any time you want.  The world can certainly use all the joy it can get.

But here’s the thing.  Whatever you choose to do, make sure you involve God in it.  If you start celebrating Christmas now, that’s fine, but don’t just spend the extra time celebrating Santa and Rudolph and Frosty.  Spend the extra time celebrating the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ.  And if you choose to wait until December to celebrate Christmas, don’t spend the time from now until Thanksgiving watching football and eating pumpkin pie.  Spend that time giving thanks to God for all that God has done for us.

I don’t care when you start celebrating.  But I do care what you celebrate and how you celebrate it.  There’s nothing inherently wrong with the secular celebrations of life.  But make sure you make time for religious celebrations, too.  Make sure God is involved in all your celebrations of life.  Make sure God is involved in the rest of your life, too.