"I Don't Like the Religion Part"

If our ways are in line with God's ways and our minds are fixated on Christ, then we have the promise of peace from the Prince of Peace:
2 Open the gates, That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. 3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.  Isn't it interesting that during the Christmas season, there is a tendency to become so caught up in the celebration that we neglect to actually remember and communicate with the One whom we're celebrating?   The Prince of Peace has come, bringing a right relationship with Him to all who call upon His name - yet, peace is absent when we become so consumed with the activities in which we're engaged this time of year.   Busyness isn't necessarily bad - but if we are not abiding in Christ, life can sometimes run off the rails and our eyes taken off the Lord who has come to earth so that we might enjoy a taste of heaven on earth.   Abide in God's peace and allow the celebration of Christmas to be a time to encounter the living God in a fresh way.

In Isaiah 48, we read:
17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: "I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go. 18 Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea... 22 "There is no peace," says the Lord, "for the wicked."   Because of Jesus and what He did for us on the cross, we can have peace with God and peace in our hearts, even in the midst of a season in which there are some people that are encountering stress in their lives.

It was an odd moment on the "Today" show recently when host Matt Lauer brought up in a panel discussion how people will out-source different Christmas tasks.   He said:

Is it okay to out-source your chores during the holiday season? We're all stressed. Holidays are supposed to be a fun time, but they also can cause stress. You can go to Craigslist and other places and you can hire someone to do just about anything, fill out your Christmas cards, buy your Christmas tree, pick out your gifts for your friends and family members. Does this cross some kind of sacred holiday line?

Star Jones chimed in: I focus on, honestly, the religion part of it. I really and truly do. So I can't out-source that part of it. I can send you to get my tree, but I can't help – you can't help me pray.

To which Nancy Snyderman, the network's chief medical editor, responded: I don't like the religion part...

Later, Snyderman said:

 

SNYDERMAN: ...I think that's what makes the holidays so stressful and – I don't.

JONES: We wouldn't have the holiday if it wasn't for the religion part.

Really?  Are you kidding me - the religion part makes the holidays so stressful?!?   Keep in mind, this was a rather jovial conversation, with lots of laughter, but no real explanation for these comments - was she kidding?   How does the so-called "religion part" cause stress during the holidays?   Not knowing whether to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays"?   What is she talking about?

Star Jones, in this instance, is right on target - there would be no Christmas if it weren't for the birth of our Savior.   Sure, there might be a winter festival or winter break, like we have spring break, but what infuses this season with meaning is the presence of Christ, and, I believe, the expression of the risen Christ in the hearts and lives of His people.   This is a holiday that we as Christians can claim as our own, and it gives us a fabulous opportunity to shine. 

And, if it's stressful, perhaps we have to evaluate - not eliminating the "religion part", that cannot be authentically separated from the whole celebration, but incorporating our relationship with Christ, the Prince of Peace, into our observance of His birth.   No, I think, to a certain extent, the opposite is true - maybe if we allowed Him to be the Lord of our Christmas activities, we would minimize or eliminate the stress.   He is the One who can direct our lives, so that the awareness of His presence can be released - at this season and throughout the year.