What do you think of when Christmas comes to mind? Is it the presents under the tree, the colorful lights, ABC's 25 Days of Christmas, or Starbuck's special edition cups? It's so easy for us to get caught up in all of the hoopla and distractions our society has centered around Christmas. I still lose sleep over the thought of my much-anticipated presents under the tree the night of the 24th. Fortunately, I'm so blessed to have come from a family that has granted me the majority of my wishes when it comes to presents. Yet there are those out there who struggle to put food on the table for their family, much less buy the extravagant gifts we all concoct in our minds that we need. My point being is that Christmas may be a time of joy for some and sorrow for others when it comes to providing and receiving gifts. Thankfully, the true meaning of Christmas is not based on presents, but the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Unlike presents, Jesus is not exclusive to certain people or communities.

Why do Christians celebrate Christmas? For the longest time, I just thought of Christmas as a big ole birthday party for Jesus, but to describe Christmas as that would be doing it an injustice. We're celebrating the birth of God's only son, the Savior who provides the only way to the truth and eternal life (John 14:6). If not for the birth of Jesus, we would be eternally separated from God. Separation from God caused by the daily sins in our life, of which the wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23). Now this sounds harsh and dreary, mostly because it is, but we celebrate Christmas due to the greatest gift anybody could ever give us, our salvation! Salvation allows us to spend eternity in Heaven with God.

What about all the traditions around Christmas that we've all known to come and love? Traditions such as gift-giving are meant as a way for us to remember the indescribable gift that God gave to us. Lights strung around the house are symbolic of the Light of the World in which Jesus provides us so we will never walk in the darkness again (John 8:12). The stars and angels that we decorate our trees with are meant to symbolize the eternity of Christ as well as remind us that stars and angels were associated with Jesus's birth. The Star of Bethlehem revealed the birth of Jesus and guided many to safety. The Angel Gabriel was responsible for telling Mary the plans of the Lord and the birth of Christ (Luke 1:30).

How has the true meaning of Christmas changed my perspective on Christmas? To this day I still can't provide my parents with a specific Christmas list of things I want, mostly because I know all of these things are only temporary and won't satisfy me for any significant amount of time. My goal for years to come is to take some time to reflect on the ultimate blessing God has given me and to recognize the price Jesus paid for our sins. Only when I accept the truth of the Gospel will my heart finally be content.