Trust in God grows as we renew our minds and beliefs. Our beliefs influence our thoughts, which affect our emotions that determine our actions, which then either reinforce our beliefs or make us question them.
Christmas is a good time to stop and examine our beliefs because what we believe will determine our focus and whether the occasion is enjoyable or stressful. What do you believe about Jesus in a manger, family, Father Christmas, gift giving, turkey, plum pudding, bonbons, family traditions, carols, Christmas trees, the homeless, the starving children overseas and your own value as an individual and in community?
I remember one year being totally over the selfishness of Christmas and expressed it by buying a goat for a village in a third world country as my Kris Kringle gift. Needless to say my noble act was not well received by its recipient whose expectations were very different from mine. I now just buy myself a goat without anyone knowing. My family is steeped in too much history, tradition and culture to make radical changes so I’m left with my attitudes, my beliefs, my expectations and thoughts, which will all, affect my trust in God.
There is a lot to distract us from the truth of Christmas. Besides the pagan traditions mentioned above, we know that Jesus wasn’t necessarily born on the 25th of December and that he was born probably in 4 or 5 BC. Was Jesus born in the innkeeper’s stable or was he born in the courtyard of a relative’s house where it was customary to keep the animals at night. What is fact or fiction?
One thing I do know and believe. God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its saviour. Christmas is not the only season to celebrate the birth of our saviour but this Christmas take the opportunity to focus on one thing, celebrate it and enjoy the fun of this holiday season.