Jesus was a gift to us. He was sent in love with a message of hope and salvation.
Christmas began primarily as a relational event and this is still the intention.
The miracle of Jesus’ birth was relational – Mary’s heart toward God and her open spirit to his work.
The shepherds were simple people who heard the message and saw the Christ child first.
The wise men had money, knowledge, and notoriety and were drawn to Jesus. They were drawn to the simplicity of a baby and the power of a miracle star and birth. They were drawn to something beyond their own lives, and they made the journey. He was a king.
Through the message and hope of Christmas, Jesus has touched thousands of lives personally, both then and now.
At the heart of this relational gift, we’re invited to be more relationally driven this Christmas season. The culture pushes the consumer route and, at the same time, often downplays the God story of the true meaning of Christmas.
Christ came with a mission; the cradle was always about the Cross. God came in the flesh to save His people, and nothing was going to stop Him. If that doesn’t inspire awe, then we don’t understand Christmas. ~ Billy Graham
Here’s how a relational-driven Christmas may play out for you:
Connect with Jesus
Jesus desires a relationship with each of us. There will always be an emptiness in our lives, even at Christmas, until we invite Jesus to fill our hearts.
Know and be known in the church.
Being connected to the church is a massive step toward the relationship-driven design for Christians. When we are part of the church, we can witness, spur one another on, grow in discipleship and faith, and be the body of Christ.
Love your family (and friends)
Simple gifts are lovely, but the bigger picture for a successful and fulfilling Christmas is relationships within the family and our community. Set things aside and be together. If you’re unsure what that looks like, find a way to be with someone – serve someone, offer your life and hope to them and with them. The Christmas season is calling us toward a more relationally driven life. You don’t have to spend more to focus on relationships, but you will have to give more.
I just finished reading the Advent Conspiracy. I had started it another time but picked up again when we did the series for Advent at Troy Methodist Church this year. The basics of the Advent Conspiracy are 1) Worship fully, 2) Spend less, 3) Give more, and 4) Love all.
The Advent Conspiracy is a great book, and you can get a copy here.