Retail During Christmas Time

Matthew 2:11, "They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh."

It's only two days until Christmas. Can you believe it? Every year it seems to come faster than the year before.

I don't know what your Christmas season has looked like, but for me personally, it has looked hectic. I work retail, and if you've ever worked retail during Christmas time before, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Everyone is running around trying to find those last minute gifts. They are looking for the best deals, finding every coupon possible, and trying to remember to get gift receipts for those gifts they're about to hand out.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year! However, with the craziness going on around me, it hasn't felt like Christmas.

As I've been at work a lot this month, I've found myself asking this question often: "Have we somehow missed it?"

The sales during the month of December go up about four times their normal amount at my job alone. There are some nice people, but many of the people I encounter are more rude than ever before. Some nearly bring me to tears with their unkind behavior. I watch the stress of this season and think how ridiculous we've made Christmas. The time that we are supposed to remember Jesus' birth has turned into a time where we want to kill everyone around us. 

When I look at the Christmas story in the Bible, it doesn't look anything like it does today. The only gifts we hear about are the gifts the wise men brought to baby Jesus and the gift of God giving us His Son. As I read the verse above, I thought, "Did the wise men worry about what they wanted to give to Jesus so much that they were rude, stressed out, and unkind trying to get those gifts?"

I understand that there are a lot of things people are going through this time of the year. For those who have lost loved ones, Christmas sometimes reminds them of those they've lost, and they feel pain. For the people with broken families, the same can be true for them. For the single people (I'm speaking from experience), Christmas somehow can cause you to look around you and see the seemingly happy couples and have your loneliness maximized by ten. All of these things I understand, but when I refocus to the true meaning behind celebrating Christmas, I realize that this is the whole reason to smile. God gave us the ultimate gift in the form of a baby. Because of that gift, we have hope. Through this gift, God made a way for us to have a relationship with Him. He made a way where we don't have to fear sickness or pain or even death because if we would simply accept Him, He will give us eternal life. If we could simply refocus on what Christmas is all about, would it look at all the same?

Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of things about Christmas. The lights are my favorite! I love time with family, and yes, I even enjoy giving and receiving gifts. It's just so important that we don't miss the whole reason for this celebration... to celebrate Christ.

Dear Jesus,

As You know, I love Christmas. I love the decorations, the excitement, and the fun. However, You also know how Christmas has somehow become out of balance, and our celebration has begun to even exclude the whole reason we celebrate. Help me in these next couple days where Christmas is being celebrated to not get so wrapped up in the gifts, the food, and even the chaos that I forget You... the whole reason for Christmas. Help those who are hurting this time of the year to find that Your gift of coming to us is the hope and comfort they need for the struggles they're facing. In Jesus' Name.

Amen.