BEYOND THE DECORATIONS AND THE LIGHTS
Christmas is speeding close and the buntings are being prepared and bought. The decorations are coming up. Everywhere is colourful: twinkling lights, stars, sparkling orbs and glitter on and off the mistletoe (real and plastic). Cards of different shapes and sizes, some with bars of instrumental carols affixed are going up.
?
(Related: When this Baby was Born)
?
What is a festive season without the bright and beautiful ornaments everywhere that cheer us up and draw us into the spirit of celebration? What is Christmas without the decorations and the lights? But is that all that Christmas really is?
[bctt tweet=”Let our celebration in this season go beyond the decorations and the lights.” username=”edithohaja1″]
If it is indeed a season of joy, what are we joyful about? Are we joyful that our homes are decked with holly and stuff? Are we joyful that we will soon be receiving lots of gifts wrapped in foil and flowered paper and bound with ribbons? Are we joyful that there will be noise and crowds, Christmas carols and laughter all around?
All these will pass. The season will end and the decorations will be packed up waiting for this time of year to roll round again. But the reason for the season should never depart from us. Emmanuel – God with us. We should admire Him more than the decorations and the lights. We should welcome Him into the centre of our hearts. We should imbibe the lifestyle He desires.
[bctt tweet=”The reason for this season should never depart from us. Emmanuel – God with us.” username=”edithohaja1″]
Our celebration needs to be meaningful beyond the decorations and the lights so that we do not pack up the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ, with them. If it is, during the Christmas season and everyday to follow, our declaration will continue to be, “Emmanuel, God is truly with us!”
?
(Related: Emmanuel – Poem and Bible Verses)
?
[bctt tweet=”We should welcome Christ into of our hearts and imbibe the lifestyle He desires.” username=”edithohaja1″]
Amen in Jesus’ name.
Scriptural references:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).” – Matthew 1:23
“… in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy …” – 1 Peter 3:15
“… as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” – 1 Peter 1:15-16
+++++++
The scriptures used in this post are from the English Standard Version of the Holy Bible.
+++++++
?
You may also like these popular related posts:
❤️
❤️
Subscribe to edithohaja.com to receive updates of new posts (inspirational, educational and entertaining articles, poems, quotes and graphics) in your mail. Subscription is free.
–
You can also like my Facebook page, Aunty Edith, follow me on Instagram, GooglePlus (1), GooglePlus (2), Twitter (1), Twitter (2), Pinterest and StumbleUpon. Plus, you can connect with me on LinkedIn. Jesus is Lord!
Yes! The season needs to live in us year round. It shouldn’t be a 1 month blur… it should be a bubbling up of joy and hope that sustains us year-round. I love Christmas – I especially love that more people seem more holy-focused. A glimpse of heaven.
Thanks for sharing!
xoxo
I love that, Jennifer! This world is not our home anyway. Thank you and remain blessed!
As Christians we should strive to show love, which is the reason for the season. Ma this is lovely, am feeling the breeze already.
Lol! Let it blow more. But I hope it’s not harmattan wind. that you’re feeling.
It takes grace to differentiate between the two. Lol
Emmanuel–God is with us. I like to sit and ponder the depth of this. The God of the universe makes Himself a baby to grow up to die for our sins. Wow!
Yes, incredible! That is why we are so blessed!
I think you’re right, we need to remember Immanuel, God with us, the rest of the year! Thank you for this reminder!
And thank you for dropping by, Julie! Stay blessed!
This is so true ma, we tend to forget the essence of the season. Am not saying to decorate ones home and make it look glowing is wrong. But what’s the importance if we do not invite or even forget the most important personality for the celebration? It’s jst like a wedding celebration without the couple. It’s useless. We should learn to give importance to whom it is due and that is Jesus Christ. There should be a turnaround and refocusing on the reason for the season and not the usual rituals..
Well said! God bless you, Chukwuemeka!
What a great line! “Our celebration needs to be meaningful beyond the decorations and the lights so that we do not pack up the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ, with them.” Thank you for the reminder!
And thank you for dropping by, Melissa! God bless you richly in Jesus’ name.
Christmas is a reminder of how our saviour Jesus Christ came into the world. We should therefore, not lose sight of where our salvation really lies. To continue in Faith, Good deeds and pure love of God is not seasonal.
Beautiful!
no JESUS no Christmas celebration..its all about him..i pray all of us realise this.
Amen. God bless you, Daniel!
….a very sweet post! It did make me think, and appreciate…..Thank you Edith. God bless you and yours. Hugs.
Praise God and be blessed too, Tammy! xoxo
christmas is a season of joy but it is important to know the reason for the season. we should not be carried away by the assorted food and drinks. we should try to make Jesus the center of it all. thank you for this piece ma. it reminds me when i was much younger the way i stress my mom to get me christmass things, the way we go round the market looking for the perfect dress that will catch my fancy. on that D-day i just look forward to putting on my new dress not really understanding the reason for the season. when we understand what this season stands for, it will really help us to shape our lives in the right perspective. and some people out there who go extra mile just to show off this season, i pray that they get the understanding that its not just about the light and decorations everywhere,Jesus is the center of it all. A nice inspirational work Ma. Remain blessed.
Well said, Chinwe! Remain blessed too in Jesus’ name.
During this period, we all forget what it really is but only remember the eating and flexing. Christmas is when we remember how Emmanuel was brought into this world and how we should imitate him. Anyway i love Christmas so much.
Lol! Most of us do too. Enjoy the season in Jesus’ name.
Thank you for this very wonderful message, aunty Edith. we all need to know that Christmas doesn’t just start with merriment and end there. we should be reminded of the reason of why we celebrate Christmas and that is our Emmanuel, the son of God, who is God himself.
May God help us not to be so overtaken by the frills and fancies that we forget Him in this season in Jesus’ name.
People use the season to show off their wealth or show that their levels have changed forgetting the significance of the period. Christ could come during a Christmas period. Most people do carnal preparation for Christmas. No wonder accidents and other criminal activities are on the increase during the season as a result of inordinate quest for carnal possessions.
May God help us to celebrate this season in a way that glorifies Him in Jesus’ name.
A lot of people use the christmas period to show off while forgetting whom we are supposed to be celebrating. God be with us really, ma, Thank you for this wonderful piece, we have to keep in mind what this festivity is really about!
I find the beauty of this piece in the manner it is decorated with evoking questions; something that makes one to pause momentarily and search h/herself. Yes, we must understand the reason for the season, which is Christ, and embrace him with the unstained love which he first showed us.
Certainly, there is more to it “beyond the decorations and the lights” – a sincere welcoming and acceptance of Christ, not just into our homes and churches, but our hearts. it is surely a reminder.
God bless you
Nice comment. God bless you too, Same Chiagbo!
IT’S A TIME TO REALLY RETURN TO CHRIST, THINKING BEYOND THOSE ORNAMENTAL PACKS.
I pray that God will grant the desires of you and your loved ones in this season in Jesus’ name.
Christ is the very essence of the celebration. In him we found the reason to live.
He is just the very one for me………………….
The funny thing is most people do not put on decorations on Christmas day, they believe the food and drink is what makes it special forgetting the fact that Christmas day is a day to celebrate the birth of our Saviour
No one should forget the reason for this season. It’s all Christ and no one else. We should be prudent and thoughtful in our decisions. Aside this season, January is coming and lots of things are yet to be settled. May God guide our decisions!
Amen. I wish you a wonderful new year, Mark!
Jesus is the reason for this season. It’s only in HIM that we are redeemed and set free of all shackles of the enemies and wicked one. Let’s celebrate HIM cheerfully!
I celebrate Christmas keeping the reason behind it at the back of my mind. I believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and I believe that the day he was born was the day I was set free
Christ is truly the reason for our celebration, putting aside the gifts and merriment..
Yes we should celebrate not forgetting that He is the reason for the season and also the essence of our existence
We should not be over carried away by the winds of Christmas but rather try to understand the true meaning of this season which is the redemption and the birth of Christ the hope of glory.
this is truly a reminder of what Christmas is supposed to mean.
Having a personal commitment with Christ would make us understand that Christmas is not all about the lights and celebrations but it’s all about……divine reflection on the miraculous deeds of God and total retreat. Tnks
Well, this is just a simple reminder that Christmas is not all about decorations and ornaments.It’s the season of love, giving and hope. Christ is born and the joy it brings forms the greater part of the Xmas celebrations. The lights and ornaments are just to spice it up and give the room a little more sauce. Thank u Ma!!!!!
Christmas is a time to show love to family, orphans, sick and poor. A time to put smiles on people’s faces, to care for others and welfare. The decorations, lights and the ornaments are just to add a spark to the celebration.
The reason for the season should never depart from us; the realization and awareness we must always have. The Greatest love was when God became man so that man can be drawn close to God. If it is a season of joy, we should be joyful of the fact that there is no one not accepted in the Beloved. Christ came so that all men may be free, so that Emmanuel; God now resides with man, permanent. This is Good News. Thank You Ma
christmas as we all know is a time to make meriment and enjoy but this season is not complete if it is not extended to people outside our family and extended families and friends. people who desperately need our help, time and shoulders. it doesn’t only end in eating, drinking, flexing, decorations and stuff like that. it is also a time for love, care, and peace. a time to help the poor and needy, console those in distress both finacially and otherwise.
Decorations and light spices up Christmas but there is more to christmas. Chirstmas is a season to love, a period to help, celebrate with the less privileged, if u do this, bet me u will not forget that season so soon
True we tend to forget the true meaning of Christmas. Emmanuel-God is with us
Christmas is not all about the decorations, new dresses, shoes, partying and merriments. But the realization of God’s love for us and giving him due worship and praises. God bless!
Most of us have forgotten the true essence of Christmas, some see it as time to eat and Merry, some also see it as though Christmas is meant for children alone we forget that its a reminder of how our saviour came into the world and that Jesus as our saviour is the true essence of Christmas and all the celebrations not the decorations and lights
During the Christmas season people run around to put things in order, preparations are made, families gather, different delicacies are served, but the reason for the season – Christ – is being forgotten. during the Christmas celebration, i made sure to always remind myself that Christ is the reason for the season. thank you ma for this piece.
Christmas season is a time to show love, to give and not only to recieve. Above all, Christ is the reason for the season.
Christmas time is a time when we have to show love and care to people both our family, friends, neighbors and outsiders. We need to show love esp to the poor and needy. Those people are those who really need our love and care. Christmas is just a time of love therefore we should use that medium to show love and care.
Christmas season is always fun because we get to see our families and friends whom we see only once or twice per year or those we don’t even see at all. We all stay together to eat and enjoy but if e think of the less privileged, the poor and needy, if we extend our love and care to them, i believe our society will be a better place to live in.
Seeking the lord first is all we need to come out successful, thank you ma for this wonderful write up.
Let Christmas celebration not be for the fun of it but rather a season of reminiscence to every Christians of how we’ve lived our lives in the past and how to live a God-filled life if we’ve truly received Christ in our lives or is the celebration of His birth only a religious festival that we indulged in for the sake of being born in christian homes.
Christmas is a season that might seem endless to many, the joy it brings if not careful might end beyond deco and light. but I urge us the Christians to never forget charity during this seasons, especially to the less privileged ones, givers never lack and the lacks will ever remain grateful to the givers. their prayers will go a long way in your life#without poverty you wont notice how fortunate you are, always be grateful by giving the poor, that’s Christmas!
yes oh Christ is the reason for the season oooo but ma the lights and decorations are really needed to increase the tempo hahahahaaha. lovely post
Indeed Christmas is far beyond decoration, light, gifts given or received during the season but the ugly news is that many have forgot the reason for the celebration. I pray that God will help us because many have turned the season into the time of many activities unpleasant to God in name of celebrating Christ.
beyond the decorations and the lights is understanding the reason for the season with the right mindset. in this period and season, God gave His gift of love to mankind even when we are undeserving of it. this same, He showed us love, we should equally use this season of love as an opportunity to extend love and put smiles on the faces of the helpless and hopeless.
Majority of believers in the world are guilty of this.for them,Christmas is time to get new shoes,clothes bags and cook lots of food for their family.This is not bad,it’s not wrong! It’s cool to be festive and to make Merry,but then,the reason behind our celebrations should not be overlooked. I used to be very guilty of this till my attention was drawn to it.the title of this post is very catchy and the graphics are awesome!
It feels like Christmas!
Aunty Edith is not just a writer oh,she’s creative, innovative and resourceful!
Keep it up MA!
Just like you would always say…”you’re blessed”
Christmas comes with so many feelings, if not careful it might not go beyond deco and light. Christians should emulate giving this season, not because givers never lack but the lacks always remain grateful and that’s what Christmas is all about;Charity nd putting a smile on a poor soul.
So nice, Christmas indeed goes beyond the decorations and lights. It’s a time to celebrate Christ, a time to appreciate this best gift of God to us, a time for sober reflection and time to draw closer to God
Thats a nice write up for those who celebrate christmas. They should go beyond the decorations in order to find the essence of what they are celebrating. I believe that if those who celebrate christmas should understand what u have written here, all these negative happenings during christmas will reduce.
May God give you more grace to keep writing more of this type of inspiring article in Jesus Name Amen
Most people see Christmas as just a break and a time to spend some money on themselves and all. Some of us always tend to forget that Jesus is the reason for the season. Im happy I got to read this write up.
May God increase you and make your life a mirror for others to see Him.
Happy Christmas in arrears ma.
No matter how much celebration we decide to have this season, we should not forget the main reason for the season which is salvation granted unto us through the birth of Christ our Lord.
Funny enough, many do not even know what they are actually celebrating, They see Christmas as a culture or a tradition that must take place every year. The fact that Christ represent God’s Love for mankind should be acknowledged and this should be in our mind using the period to show love to one another.
someone told me he isn’t a fan of Christmas celebration because he feels its all about showing off wealth and joy and generosity because of the name Christmas but i directed him to this particular article and told him to look beyond the lights and see that Christmas is about the birth of Emmanuel, who is always with us, and that should be the reason for his celebration. thanks for this wonderful write up, Aunty Edith.
Thanks a lot, my dear. Glory to God and abundant blessings to you in Jesus’ name.
Ill confess it is really hard not to replace the joy am supposed to feel at the birth of christ with having two weeks of holiday and festivities.
thanks Ma for sharing. am inspired. for real we mostly don’t look beyond the decorations to see the true reason for Christmas. am guilty of that too.
This is a very wonderful teaching. Most of us erroneously conceive Christmas as a period of merriments alone without knowing that it is also a salvific period which brings salvation to the souls that prepare themselves for the Lord. Since Christ will inhabit our souls and not just our decorated homes, let us put the two into considerations.
Christmas as most people perceive it, is a time of celebration and jubilation, forgetting that which we are celebrating which is the birth of Jesus Christ which brought salvation for us all……with celebration on our mind lets not forget our faith. Celebrating with salvation should go hand-in-hand
Despite the meriment and jubilation, we should always remember that in the spirit of christmas, Jesus is the reason for the season and we should not be get carried away.
Christ is the reason for the season,however many people engage in a lot of evil things like robbery etc. Just to show off their ill gotten wealth during the festive period thinking it is the period for flaunting wealth. Forgetting that if Christ was never born, this particular occasion might not take place
How glorious the season of Christmas, it’s indeed a season of love and of sober reflection for us Christians. The gift of Jesus to humanity is indeed the best gift ever.
Its good to know that its not all about the decorations and the lights, we should learnt to share love and joy on the day of celebration…let love rule…nice article ma.
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel” (which means, God with us).” – Matthew 1:23. This is the major reason for Christmas celebrations. It is a time to think about our relationship with God and that is why Christmas is beyond eating, chatting, travelling and roaming around the streets. HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!
At times, we tend to forget the main reason for the season(as it goes beyond the beauty and decoration). In as much as we should make our physical environments beautiful, we should keep in mind that Jesus is the main reason for the season and appreciate that,while imbibing his lifestyle.
Ma thank you for this post,seriously some of us think that Christmas is all about showing off the kind of money we have,some even will go to the extent of killing, stealing just to celebrate Christmas….. Nawaoooo,instead of thinking all this why dnt you think on how to be reborn with Christ,how to show care to the less privileged people,the sick…..for crying out loud why are we getting into unnecessary things that doesn’t please God because we are preparing for Christmas, Christmas should be all about Jesus and not showing off your wealth and offending God with our attitude…….
Most people think that Christmas is a moment to show off. This post reminds us the Christmas goes beyond satisfying our earthly desires. Thanks Ma for the Post.
Christmas is more than just music, dance and merriment. It’s a period to show and spread love.
This story is the fact.. Christmas period is more than the light. To me it is like the beginning of the love story between God and we his children.
Emmanuel-God is with us is the reason for the season and that is who I’m celebrating
Christmas is not all about beautiful decorations and beaming light…we should allow the impact of Christmas dwell in our hearts…may the lord help us to identy the reason for the season.
Christmas not meant only for exchange of gifts and ‘flexing ‘there are various significance for the celebration which is for reminding ourselves of the birth of Jesus Christ who saved us from condemnation
This is a general misconception held so strong by individauls of different race, christmass no longer brings to mind the self conciousness of christ birth and what it signifies. it is now seen as a season where high and lofty decoration are been placed for the world to admire the ideal significance of the x-mass season has been swept to the carpet. Yes christmass is a season where we celebrate our loved ones through our giftings but it shouldn’t be the core reason for celebrating the birth of Emmanuel(jesus)
Many tend to forget the reason for christmas and therefore misuse it. It is quite bad. Jesus is the reason for Christmas, hence, we must celebrate it in a Jesus like manner.
I wish I read this before now… This is a really great piece… The season is for a reason but people forget and go otherwise.
We should dwell on the reason and allow it impact and change us for good.
you are right on what you said we should not only recognise seasons as a period of sharing gift or receiving gift but we should remember the main reason why we are celebrating christmass because is actually beyond a decoration.
very true we mistook Christmas as a time for enjoying, forgetting the most important thing. Christmas is a time when remember the coming of our lord Jesus Christ, we should forget that as we merry and have fun, we should always remember the important thing even as we enjoy.
We all should know the reason for the season, it’s not all about Xmas decor and new clothes and food, there is more to that.
is not just the merriment, we should not forget that he is always the reason for the season. as Christians, we live that Christ like live to show what we are celebrating. in midst of the celebration lets not forget Christ
Truly, “the reason for the season should not depart from us”, some people seem to have forgotten and redefined christmas, “beyond the decorations and lights”, we should not forget that Jesus is the true reason for christmas
After the decorations, celebrations and merryments, we should not forget the purpose of the season. It is to remind us of the birth of Jesus. After christmas, we should not also forget Jesus, we should celebrate him everyday of our lives because he is the reason we are alive today. All glory be to God.
Calls to mind the accompanying decorations of Christmas celebration: Christmas trees and lights. But we Christmas shouldn’t be carried away by all these; we should always remember the purpose of which such decorations were made.
It is quite saddening that most Christians always get carried away by the aesthetics of Christmas decorations.
It’s actually a good thing to lighten up the spirit of Christmas with the lights and decorations. It’s necessary for a warm celebration. But, we Christians should always remember the purpose for which such decorations were made.
Beyond the accompanying decorations of Christmas celebration: Christmas trees and lights. But we Christians shouldn’t be carried away by all these; we should always remember the purpose of which such decorations were made.
Beyond the Christmas light and decorations is a time of songs and praises, the lord has a special gift for us and its going to be eternal.
Decoration and light go hand in hand and they are aesthetical element of beauty but Christmas should not be the only period people decorate and wire light rather we should be considering the purpose of it in our lives,how they impact positively in our lives.
Truly, its not all about the lights and decoration. Its far beyond that, its a celebration and Thanksgiving to God for giving us such an awesome “gift” Jesus Christ.
Beyond the decorations and lights, there should be eternal joy derived from the coming of our saviour. The decorations and lights can only be meaningful when we attach more importance to it. Emmanuel_God is with us. May he continue to be with us even after the decorations and lights.
Christmas is a day of remembrance that Jesus Christ was born, but nowadays we wait for Christmas just because of the beautiful decorations and lights, new clothes and all that will be done, forgetting that we’re supposed to celebrate the birth of our lord Jesus Christ the saviour. Also qe shouldn’t only remember Christ during Christmas because he’s always with us
we should always be reminded about the Reason for the season beyond the lights and decorations
In as much as the season should come with the whole color and light and decorations , we shouldn’t forget the reason for the celebration, we should always live with and in the moment.
It’s very good to celebrate and rejoice, but we should not forget the main reason for that celebration.
Some of us don’t even know the reason for celebration of Christmas, we only think of new clothes, shoes, bags etc and forget to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ
A lot of people celebrate Christmas forgetting d main purpose or significant of Christmas. They think is a period of enjoying where u are free to decorate, buy, eat. But its more than that. It marked to remember the birth of our saviour
Christmas is something that should be celebrated everyday because God is always with us. It is beyond the merriment. Emmanuel
May we always have in mind that Jesus is the reason for the season. Amen.