With Christmas quickly approaching, our lives are flooded with talk about wish-lists, travel plans, holiday parties, and, of course, food. Here and there you hear the mention of "the true meaning of Christmas," but do you ever pause to think about what that really means?

Even as a firm believer in Christ, I'll admit that although my mind immediately flashes to an image of a baby lying in a manger, a star in the sky, and the rest of the story that I hear at church, year after year, I don't really stop to think about what this means for me. A message that my pastor gave at church last week, though, inspired me to look beyond the Christmas story that we all know by heart and to view things a little differently this year.

So often, we let ourselves create unrealistic expectations for what Christmas is going to be like. We start thinking weeks, even months, in advance about what we're going to find under the tree on Christmas morning, what outfit we're going to wear to the Christmas party, and how many Instagram likes we're going to get on that Pinterest-worthy plate of cookies that we just spent 20 minutes staging. I hate to break it to you, but if this is what you place your happiness and hope in, you're going to be sorely disappointed.

Chances are, your reality isn't going to live up to your expectations. But even if you get every single gift you wanted, compliments on your looks from everyone at the party, and more likes than you've ever gotten on that Instagram photo, you're still not going to feel satisfied. This is because the only one who can truly live up to your expectations is God. Even your family and other loved ones who make this holiday so special can't be expected to live up to the perfect image of your life that you've created in your mind.

The day that Christ was born was a day that changed every single one of our lives. It brought a new type of hope and promise to this earth. Christ's life and death gave us the promise of forgiveness and the hope of eternal life with our Lord. I know this is something that we usually focus on at Easter, but why not focus on it at Christmas, too? After all, Christmas is the day when God's plan for us became a reality. God proved His love to the world in a way that He had never done.

Instead of placing your happiness in worldly things this Christmas, place your happiness in the one who the day is all about: Jesus. He won't leave you feeling let down and empty, and He'll fill you up all year long, I promise. Yes, the true meaning of Christmas is about remembering the birth of our Savior, but it's also about continuing to let Him change our lives, thousands of years later.

"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires." - Psalm 37:4