When you hear that greeting, do the Holidays feel more like “Ho-ho-ho Happy Holi-DAZE?”

During the weeks and days leading up to Christmas do you find yourself lacking excitement? Does the constant activity and gaiety around you feel overwhelming? Are shopping and planning making the season a blur? Inside are you experiencing dread, bitterness or even envy as you anticipate family get togethers? Many of us feel emotionally and physically exhausted and stress often feels a constant companion as the holidays approach. Heavy expectations, family dynamics, financial pressures and more can make the holidays feel like a crushing burden. Instead of “Happy Holidays” life feels extra difficult for many of us.  So much to do, places to go, and people to entertain, etc. Is that what the holidays are for?

I believe God has something COMPLETELY different in mind for you and me, something rather wonderful.  Instead of heaping on more expectations, He wants to be the One who gives to us.  He has SO much to give, that we can’t even comprehend it all!

He says, –

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”…And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.’       —1 Corinthians 2:9,12. NLT

I believe our culture has turned this time of the year into “holidaze” for many of us.  According to the UrbanDictionary.com, holidaze is a “term that defines the feelings of confusion and excitement people have between thanksgiving and Christmas; the blur one feels after/during shopping for gifts in crowded retail stores with heavy holiday traffic.” But God wants to make it a holiday, or holy day.  (Check out Pastor Dodge’s teaching on “Holidays – Holy Days” http://www.awakeusnow.com/biblical-roots.html)

No one is holy except God, Himself.  In fact, no one walked the planet that was holy except for Jesus, who was sinless and perfect.  He came that we may have “life and life to the full,” while the enemy has come to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10).   Jesus suffered and died for the express purpose of earning for us things too amazing for words:

• a renewed relationship with God
• forgiveness of all our faults
• the promise of new perfect bodies when He returns
• an eternity of no tears or pain
• our hearts desires met by God Himself

This Holy One, Jesus, earned all of that for each one of us. In our broken, messed up state, we may receive it by faith, as a gift. A Christmas gift and what a gift! Right?

If that’s not enough, Jesus, before ascending to the right hand of the Father, left behind the Holy Spirit, to reside inside each of us.  By simply believing in Jesus, we receive the Holy Spirit!  And as this passage describes, THERE’S MORE.  The Holy Spirit wants to give us what Jesus has earned for us – all the things we need to live this life:

• wisdom
• strength
• confidence
• peace beyond our circumstances
• hope
• joy
• and the list goes on

So, this time of the year, what if we completely changed our focus from all the expectations placed on us, to receiving the Gift the Father has for us, the gift of Jesus and what He has earn for us?  You are the Father’s beloved and precious dear one.  Nothing would make Him happier than for you to receive the Gift He has for you.

How do you receive His gift?  Don’t worry, the Holy Spirit will guide you.  Just listen with your heart and receive.

Make this holiday a holy day and leave the holidaze behind! Receive the best Christmas gift ever, the Gift of the Holy One, Jesus. And then, receive some more!  For He says to you – “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Happy Holy Days and Merry Christmas!