The Christmas Spirit After Christmas

The adrenalin rush of Christmas plummets days after December 25. After all most gifts have been delivered or opened, and pretty much everyone is satisfied. Now what? Emptiness replaces activity and that lovely hormone, dopamine, takes a hit sometimes resulting in depression. Gather yourself together and refocus on the "things that are true, noble, just, pure, good, lovely and are of good report (Philippians 4:8)."   Herein lies the true Christmas Spirit that the coming of Christ, the true reason we celebrate Christmas, is the answer to the world’s condition-sin. Rejoice, our Savior has come!

While we reward ourselves with lesser things hoping to fulfil our fleshly satisfaction, our greater spiritual need is the forgiveness of sin. Certainly, our earthly gifts are a symbolic representation of Christ as the optimum Gift, but the gift of His life, substitutionary death, and resurrection are gifts only GOD the Father can give and only we can receive. So now, "if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things (Philippians 4:8)." That’s the Christmas Spirit after Christmas, meditating on the praiseworthiness of the Gift of Jesus.   May the urge to lament and morn that Christmas is over provoke you to keep rejoicing that Jesus fulfils God’s righteous requirement of salvation so that the scriptures may be fulfilled (Romans 8:3-4, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:21-22, Isaiah 53:7, Matthew 26:54). Keep rejoicing and share, our Savior has come!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as we gather ourselves and refocus let us rejoice that Jesus, our Emmanuel, did come to ransom captive Israel and all others who would receive Him, even to them that believe on His name (John 1:12)! Thank You Jesus for being the Gift for our soul’s salvation.
By Sis. Paula Smith