Today I read this
article that says that 45% of Americans would like to opt-out of Christmas this year. The reason is the financial pressures that the holiday causes. We are living Tim Burton's A Nightmare before Christmas. When you divorce Christmas from its real meaning, what you end up with is a nightmare. Yes, Christmas is a time for giving but since we lost the original meaning of Christmas, giving has become how much can I spend to buy for everyone around me.
Christmas is about God giving His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birth and the gift of eternal life that He represents. The gift that God gave us was Himself.
The reason we want to opt out of Christmas is that instead of giving of ourselves, we give a lesser gift, which is what we can buy. We think that the more we spend, the better the gift. The real meaning of Christmas is the more we give of ourselves, the better the gift. Instead of opting out of Christmas this year, why not receive God's free gift and then give of yourself. Give someone your time, your love, your friendship, your self. If you do you will not feel stressed out but blessed.
