A Mary Christmas

So December has rolled in rather quietly and the reality is that the celebration of Christ's birth is imminently near. It is easy for us to get caught up in the holiday bustle and FORGET that the true focus of Christmas is Christ. No matter how much we love Him, it is easy to get caught up and thrown off balance. The other day, my dear friend Tracie asked me to proofread a devotional that she would deliver to the leadership team of our Bible Study. I loved it and asked her if I could share. She was willing and the following are her words. Let us know what you think!

As the calendar turned to expose November, my mind immediately turned to Christmas…(how could they not when the stores had already decked their aisles)...how were we going to afford it, where were we going to put the tree and decorations, we are in a new house after all, would Meredith be here, would my mom visit, I really would like to get the kitchen painted before the holiday, what picture will we send out this year…..but regrettably I admit, none of my thoughts were consumed with how can I “Worship my Savior”, how could I “Prepare for His Birth”….they were all selfish/self-centered thoughts and worries.


So I began to be convicted daily about the amount of time I spend Preparing to Celebrate the Season when what I truly wanted/needed to do is Worship my Savior….. How do I Worship rather than Celebrate….To Celebrate is to observe or commemorate and event through public festivities and gatherings…To Worship is to express adoring reverence or regard personally through ardent devotion….WOW, I don’t’ know that I have ever really worshipped Christmas (the coming of the Savior...) but I know I have done a lot of celebrating.


In my effort to seek out how to do just that…Worship my Savior this year rather than merely Celebrate the Season, I began daily reading the account of Christs incarnation and studying the ONE biblical example of a woman who had Prepared for the Saviors arrival….Mary.


So how do we have “A Mary Christmas”? Revisit and re-read Luke 1:26 – 39 and Luke 2:4 – 20 which tell the original Christmas story. Let's use the word "SIMPLE" as an acronym for how we can keep Christ in Christmas and not major on the minor this holiday season as well as follow Mary's example.

S – Scriptural : Mary sang hymns and spiritual songs…”The Magnificat”, she recognized the Messiah of Old Testament as the angel appointed her mother of the Most High God. So often this time of year when our focus should be on God and His Word, it is laid aside in an effort to accomplish the many other tasks on our to-do list….we’ll get back to a quiet time in the New Year…we’ll resolve. Make Christmas Scriptural….We give our children three gifts each year, a gift of want, a gift of need and a gift of love…in keeping with the 3 gifts Jesus received from the Maggi. I read an article this year of a family whose gifts are based on Luke 2:40..”And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon Him.” Is your Advent calendar filled with candy or treats, do you open the door to receive a sweet, or do you open the door to taste and see that the Lord is good…add a short Scripture reading to each day.


I – Intentional: Mary was intentional about her preparation…she asked the angel a specific question in v. 34 of Chapter 1, “how will this be”. In v. 39 of that same Chapter, Mary got ready and hurried to Elizabeth's home. We receive so many invitations and offers, we have so many commitments this time of year, each student has a concert or performance, the angel choir is singing, the company Christmas party, the ladies Christmas brunch….the list goes on and on….but we need to be intentional with our time…Determine in your heart and mind ahead of time what you will and wont participate in, the activities you do and don’t have time for….and I promise you, it is easier if you keep in mind that you want to Worship the Savior this year rather than Celebrate a Season.


M – Memorable: Luke 2:19, But Mary, Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart”….The word treasured in that verse in the Greek means to “preserve” or “to make a memory of”…Mary made a memory of these things…..Is my Christmas memorable to me and my children, or do I want to forget them at the end of December and rush into January….am I making memories?
P – Purposeful: in verse 31 – 33, Mary receives her purpose, and she then lives the rest of her life fulfilling that purpose. If my purpose is to Worship the Savior this December, then the commitments I make, events I attend and gifts I give should be fulfilling that purpose….what is my purpose behind baking 15 types of cookies..? To bless the neighbors with a plate, or to win the Betty Crocker award? What is my purpose for attending all of those events….to be the Christmas Queen, to impress someone else, or because it’s an opportunity to witness to the lost world around me…? What is your purpose…?


L – Lasting/Eternal: Mary had an eternal perspective…in v. 33, the angel told Mary, he (the son you will bear) Jesus will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will never end. Is what I am doing to prepare this Advent season temporal or eternal….do those 15 different types of cookies have any eternal value….Yes, if they are given with a card that shares the true meaning of Christmas, but No, if they are just for the neighborhood cookie exchange. Luke 2:19 again says Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart….What are you treasuring up this Christmas…? Matthew 6:19 - 24 tells us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


E – Enjoyable: In the midst of announcement, anticipation and arrival…Mary pondered which in the Greek means “to meditate, to think quietly, soberly, deeply” “ to appraise, to weigh in the mind the value of”…Mary sat in the straw of a stable, cuddled the Savior and enjoyed….as the angels around her rejoiced, the shepherds beside her shard, and she enjoyed…..

I pray you have “A Mary Christmas”….May you Worship the Savior!

Copyright by Pamela Cole Thorpe on December 4, 2010