Christmas in your heart

A wise friend of my family once told my mom that it was good to keep a little bit of Christmas out all year to remind ourselves of what God had done. When I moved into my own place, I kept the tradition alive, placing a tiny pewter Nativity scene on a shelf in my hallway. It’s a simple Nativity scene, just Mary, Joseph, the Baby Jesus, along with a cow and a donkey. Mary looks simultaneously surprised and serene; Joseph seems a little shell-shocked; Jesus looks like any ordinary baby—and the donkey and cow just seem to be there to add a little context.

I keep that Nativity scene out all through the year because my friend’s advice was good. I need to remember the message of Christmas all year round. There are moments when I need to be reminded that Jesus walked this earth just like me and knew the joys and sorrows of life. There have been seasons in my life when I’ve become consumed by the good works of faith, so much so that it would have been easy to forget that salvation itself is a gift.

Salvation is a gift we can’t earn, no matter how hard we try. Even as believers, it’s sometimes easier to think that we have to somehow do good things to become worthy of that salvation. Sometimes, God’s free gift of salvation to all who believe just seems too good to be true.

But the fact is, all those years ago in Bethlehem, we got our first glimpse of the plan of salvation that God had put into motion before the foundations of the earth. He knew our deepest need, and He gave His only Son so that we might have a right relationship with Him.

This Christmas, we don’t want you to get so caught up in the trees, the lights, and the tinsel that you miss out on what God has done for you. We want you to hear and understand the gospel message that God loves you, and He sent His Son to live, die, and rise again so that He might have a relationship with you. That’s the topic of Carol Sallee’s cover story, “The gift that can’t be earned,” on page 26 and the theme of many of this month’s devotions. It’s the reason we asked Sam O’Neal to talk to you about how to make Christmas meaningful (p. 16) and enlisted Erin Davis to answer the tough question of why we need a Savior in the first place (p. 46). It’s the message we want your lives to proclaim and for you to share with others, which is why we included an article on witnessing (p. 60) and Adam Richards’ personal account of sharing Christ with a friend (p. 62).

Christmas isn’t just any holiday. It’s the time we set aside to ponder how much God loves us because of the extravagant nature of His gift: Jesus. Accept Him, love Him, follow Him, and let Christmas live in your heart all year round.