I’m not very trendy. Politically correct speech, trite talk and insincere platitudes irritate me. Common cultural controversies seldom speak my heart or compel me to take a stand.
With that stated, you might not be surprised that hearing Season’s Greetings or Happy Holidays doesn’t offend me. In fact, if you don’t believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the World, those greetings make sense and I’d rather you say them. You should say what is in your heart because pretense and lies are destructive.
For the very same reason, you will hear from me, “Merry Christmas.” Seasons come and seasons go. If that is all I want to say, ‘hi’ or ‘hey’ should suffice. And to me, happy holy-days are an oxymoron. Happiness is circumstantial. Holy Days–if they are truly of a holy nature–transcend circumstances. So, that leaves me with Merry Christmas. Merriness is a wish for joy and life…and Christmas is Christ’s mass or the feast of Christ. Indeed, my wish for everyone is Merry Christmas.
The heart-breaking truth, though is that …
…many do have a Christ-less Christmas.
Some folks know that is their reality…and others live in a deadly deception. That is why I hold fast to my words: Merry Christmas. Words matter and Scripture says we will have to give account for every word that proceeds from our mouths. I’m not responsible for your words, nor are you responsible for mine. But we each must say–and live out what we say–with integrity.
The world still needs the good news proclaimed by the angels at the birth of Christ. It is the privilege and responsibility of every Christian. Love came down at Christmas time the songs say. It is that which we celebrate at Christmas. God loved us too much to leave us in the mess we created…in the messes we create. He came to save us. Christmas celebrates the arrival of hope; but Easter is the culmination. The entirety of the picture brings abundance to our Christmas celebrations.
It is the Gospel that creates an awareness of need in hearts. The Gospel is
this: man is lost without Jesus Christ. There is no other explanation for why God would become man, suffer as He did and endure the Cross. Jesus came because it was the only way for man and God to be reconciled. The same Gospel that creates awareness of need produces fulfillment.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, said in the Magnificat (Luke 1:53), God fills the hungry with good things. Too often, we fill ourselves with 
the stuff of this world and our souls fail to magnify God. We lust but we seldom hunger…and we miss out on the Goodness of God. That produces a Christ-less Christmas…a Christ-less life…a travesty. The words that come from our mouths must match the lives we live. Let folks say Season’s Greetings or Happy Holidays, but you, believer live with joy in the celebration of Christ!
Heartsong Ministries 