The tree may be up but the presents are gone. Toys unwrapped, games opened, food eaten. Most of the family has departed.
The aroma of Christmas has drifted away. The boxes marked: "XMAS LIGHTS" will come down soon as to reduce all of the holiday spirit down to a few boxes and scraps of pine needles resting on the floor.
But the “holiday spirit” does not have to end.
Once the work week hussle begins so does the usual ungrateful funks we push ourselves into. We begin to recall the awesome gifts we received or the special excitement our kids had seeing that one toy. We forget the reason we celebrated this particular holiday. We forget Christmas.
Without Christmas there would be no Easter. Without the miracle in a stable some 2000 years ago there would be absolutely no hope in life. Without God's glorious promise that showed up in the form of a babe our entire lives would mean nothing.
What are you living for? If you're living for money, career, or status you won't find joy. If you're living your life solely to make a particular person happy you will be thouroughly disappointed. We are constantly failing, ever changing people. If your goal is to find love in the world; while you may find it ultimately you, too, will be disappointed. For if your primary focus is not on Christ and eternity then everything you're working for will be moot.
Money is not bad, the idolizations of it is. Pleasing others is not all wrong in itself but can fill you with depression and resentment. Looking for love is bold but when you do not realize first and foremost that you are loved by a perfect God that void will never be filled.
Just because the holidays have ended does not give permission to fight over a hot sale. It is not an excuse to stop spending time with family and friends. The day(s) after Christmas are moments to spend remembering the reason for joy, the hope of the world and all the ways to be grateful.
Christmas isn’t just Lights, trees, presents.... stuff. Christmas is relief. Christmas is hope. Christmas is a promise fulfilled. Christmas gives us reason to believe but not just for one single day. All year long the Christmas spirit is upon us. All year we wait for advent. We long for something greater.
The discontenment does not have to wait until Christmas Day to find resolve. Your resolution to know joy and trust Christ is ongoing. Let your joy shine bright as you remember daily: Christmas.
