Christmas can be such a fun time! People have parties, dinners, and gift exchanges. There are Christmas carols to be sung and cookies to be eaten. There are plays, concerts, worship services, and Christmas pageants to attend, not to mention desserts to bake, presents to wrap, and decorations to hang.While all of this is fun and filled with joy, it can be easy to fill the schedule with all of these good things and rush around nonstop. Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year, and sometimes in between running from event to event, we find ourselves feeling tired and rundown. We can end up saying, “I can’t wait until Christmas is over so I can relax.”

What a sad way to think about Christmas! It is one of the most joyful times of the year: our Savior was born as a baby for US. Instead of thinking about this precious free gift given us, we are too busy celebrating. We miss the real reason for our joy. It’s not the candles we use to decorate; it’s that Jesus is “the light of the world” and that He brought light to the darkness.

So, instead of running around and forgetting the true reason we celebrate Christmas, stop. Take a night off and light a candle. Remind yourself about Jesus. Think about who might need the reminder too, and invite them over. Sit around and chat about Jesus. See how fulfilling your Christmas can actually be. 

This is Luis Palau.