The Perfect Christmas
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“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
Two years ago in early December, we learned our 13-month-old grandson had two holes in his heart and would need open-heart surgery in the new year. This difficult news came as a complete shock and took some of the glitter out of Christmas for me. I like everything perfect at Christmas. This one wouldn’t be.
But is Christmas ever perfect?
The first Christmas certainly wasn’t. Think about it. A very pregnant Mary traveled a long distance on a donkey, arrived at a crowded town, and gave birth in a smelly stable. No family or friends came to welcome the newborn. Then instead of returning home to Nazareth to show off their baby, Mary and Joseph fled to a foreign country to save Jesus’ life.
But in that less-than-perfect first Christmas, God planned wonderful surprises, too. An angel choir in the heavens announced Jesus’ birth to shepherds in the fields, and they eagerly came to worship Christ, the newborn King. Then the shepherds hurried to share the good news: Jesus had come as the Savior of the world! This less-than-perfect Christmas was part of God’s perfect plan and divine purpose.
As you ponder that first Christmas and prepare to celebrate Christmas again, how is your holiday season going? Do you face disappointments and losses? From your viewpoint, will this Christmas be less than perfect because of financial, relational, or personal struggles? Perhaps it’s difficult to capture the excitement you have felt during past Christmases.
I know that feeling. But even during life’s challenges, God has a perfect plan for each of us. And if we look for God’s goodness, we’ll find His fingerprints of love and grace in our lives. So let’s thank Him for each blessing. But mostly, let’s thank Him for His indescribable gift of Jesus, who came to save us from our sins.
If you have invited Jesus into your heart, you have a wonderful hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Immanuel, God with us, dwells in your heart today and forever. And from an eternal perspective, that makes every Christmas perfect.
Lord Jesus, we don’t need the glitter of Christmas to make this one special. We need You. You are the Gift above all gifts. You are the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). We bow in worship for You are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Bless Your holy name. You are Immanuel, God with us. Come fill our hearts with joy in fresh, personal ways as we celebrate Your birth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
P.S. Thankfully, my grandson survived the surgery and is now a healthy, active three-year-old.
Questions: If your Christmas is to be perfect, what would it look like? Are you having difficulty capturing the excitement of Christmas this year because of unexpected
situations?
About this Author Lydia E. Harris
Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Identity in Christ, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog
4 Responses to “The Perfect Christmas”
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we have never had a perfect Christmas but we have always been grateful for each other and remembered the true reason for Christmas
lydia, thank you for the devotional. if my Christmas was to be perfect it would have to include peace on earth, good will to man, that’s what my perfect Christmas would be like.
i am excited more so this year as i already know what my gift is and it didn’t come wrapped in pretty bows and paper or a card. my gift received is Jesus Christ.
Dear Lord, thank you for this wonderful season. Help us all keep our preparations in focus. As we get ready for Christmas, help us prepare our hearts. Forgive us for the times we are too focused on material preparations rather than rejoicing in the gift of Jesus. Please give us perspective and your peace. Thank you for sending us a Savior. In Jesus’ name.
The Christmas season always includes a long “to do” list. But if we do like Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, and sit at Jesus’ feet, then we are doing the “one thing” Jesus said was necessary. And that shortens our “to do” list!
I know how you feel, Denise. We all have felt stress during the holidays. Lord, multiply our time, calm our hearts, and make this a glorious Christmas full of wonder and joy for all the readers of Web site. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Lydia
I really needed to read this devotional today. Yesterday was not a good day with all the stress related to the holiday season. I ended up hearing myself say how much I hate Christmas to my husband and ended up in tears, unable to help wrap gifts, unable to even function for a bit.
What I really was upset about was all the things that we must do, shopping, wrapping, baking, cleaning, entertaining, and somehow the true meaning of Christmas is lost in all of the materialism we’ve made Christmas about.
I’ve never really thought about Mary giving birth and not having family around and not being able to show off her new baby to family. How sad that was. Yet our loving Father announced the birth of our Savior in such a way that centuries later we are still announcing and celebrating that wonderful birth.
It saddens me how the true meaning of Christmas gets so lost in our world.
I could use prayer about this. I need to let go of all the stress that comes with this holiday and realize the true reason for it. God would not want me to act this way, angry, emotionally exhausted, stressed. He would want me to have peace inside realizing that He has provided a Savior for our world.