A while back, I was questioning the whole holiday of Christmas itself. Is it worth celebrating? Are Christians even allowed to celebrate it? I’m not looking for debates. I’m just going to share my opinions. So…just last year, I found out that Christmas actually had a pagan origin. In the past, Christmas was a holiday where people worshiped pagan gods. In reality, December 25th is actually the birthday of an Egyptian pagan god named, Nimrod. I was actually worried, thinking about this. Just last year, my dad told us that we would no longer celebrate Christmas. My heart was torn in half, because I loved Christmas since I was little. Everyone knows that there’s a big debate concerning when Jesus Christ was born. They talk about how it’s impossible for Him to be born in such a cold climate, in a manger. It’s true that in the Bible, it never said anything about celebrating His birthday. So isn’t Christmas full of quirks?
Sorry, maybe I’m thinking too much. But when something gets me confused, divided, or torn, I will keep searching and searching, until I have answers and come to a verdict. I need the truth.
John 8:32 “Then you will know the truth. And the truth will set you free.”
I know for sure, that when I know the truth, I will be set free. That’s how it works. The truth that comes from God, sets us free.
I’ve shared this verse before, in my question. I’ll share it again.
Jeremiah 10:2-4 “Do not follow the practices of other nations. Do not be terrified by the warnings in the sky. Do not be afraid, even though the nations are terrified by them. The practices of those nations are worthless. People cut a tree out of the forest. A skilled worker shapes the wood with a sharp tool. Others decorate it with silver and gold. They use a hammer to nail it to the floor. They want to keep it from falling down.”
Doesn’t this verse, get you pondering with questions? Well, it did for me. It reminded me of the Christmas tree. I was completely bewildered. So…these were the practices of pagan people long ago. They cut a tree down, took it to their homes, and decorated it. Basically, in Jeremiah 10, God declares that there is no other god like Him. We shouldn’t uplift any other god.
What about the warmth and joy of Christmas time? What about its encouragement in giving? Isn’t that something good?
Matthew 10:8 “….You have received freely, so give freely.”
Knowing that there’s paganism behind the history of Christmas, killed me internally for these past 2 years. It really upset me. What is the right thing to do? I wasn’t so sure.
Just a few months ago, I ran into some verses that caught my eyes. You always find something “new” when looking back into the Bible. For the past year, I cried to God for answer, concerning celebrating Christmas. I believe He gave me the answer right here.
Romans 14:2-6 “The faith of some people allows them to eat anything. But others eat only vegetables because their faith is weak. People who eat everything must not look down on those who do not. And people who don’t eat everything must not judge those who do. God accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servants? Whether they are faithful or not is their master’s concern. They will be faithful, because the Lord has power to make them faithful. Some people consider one day to be more holy than another. Others think all days are the same. Each person should be absolutely sure in his own mind. Those who think one day is special do it to honor the Lord. Those who eat meat do it to honor the Lord. They give thanks to God. Those who don’t eat meat do it to honor the Lord. They also give thanks to God.”
Seems like a confusing and vague passage, right? But of course, the Bible speaks in figurative language. But there were also words there, that directly spoke the message, concerning “special days” or holidays. Here’s what I thought. When I read this, I automatically thought of the whole situation about Christmas. This whole passage, about “diet” isn’t simply talking about what we eat, but our lifestyles and personal beliefs. Why do you think Christians are divided up and have denominations of their own? It’s because of their personal convictions. The Holy Spirit will always give us some sort of conviction. And people will always come up with their own conclusions.
Some people say that Christmas is worth celebrating, because we do it to honor Jesus Christ. They say that we should honor the fact, that God came into human form, to live among us imperfect humans, and save us through a sacrifice. So regardless, of whether Christmas had a pagan background, we only uplift God, during Christmas time. Others strongly stand on the belief of being disconnected during Christmas time. They say that we honor Jesus Christ everyday of our lives, so why make a big deal one day in a year?
Why is there so much diversity in the world? People will always have different viewpoints. That’s why debates happen. That’s why wars happen. What matters, is that we could take the time to understand and accept that we have different opinions.
This verse really struck me in the heart. It gave me a sense of joy and relief.
Romans 14:22 “No matter what you think about those things, keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who do not feel guilty for what they allow.”
So I finally came to a conclusion. It’s all up to you. I agree with those that said that God looks into the heart. That’s very true. And God knows all our intentions.
The funny thing is, my dad disregarded what he said last year. This year’s different. We’re celebrating Christmas again. :) Of course, we’re well aware of the truth now. But God knows our hearts. So…that concludes what I want to say.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!! God bless you!!<3
No comments:
Post a Comment