The true meaning of Christmas

Written by Janet Perez Eckles on 12/12/2017

Series: Weekly Devotional

Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:19-21

A few weeks ago, my husband cleaned the garage. I filled plastic bags of items and we gathered all to donate to our local charity.

Christmas season soon came and my husband was fulfilling his own mission to help decorate. He pulled the Christmas tree out of the box. It came all equipped with lights. A very cool thing.

Grandkids flung open the front door with shouts of excitement, anticipating hanging tree ornaments.

I handed them the tin with a huge smile at their giggles as we were about to follow our regular tradition. But to our disappointment, the tin only contained a few broken ornaments from years past. We searched everywhere for the broken pieces, which we had stored last year after, but they were gone. No doubt, we had packed them with items to be given away to our local charity.

So, there we were, staring at a bare tree lit up but waiting to be dressed.

I tried to comfort the children, and wondered how to explain that ornaments are just that—an addition to decorate what is already there.

I truly believe that. Physical decorations aren't what is important. The company of our grandkids, healthy and full of life, are God-created ornaments that decorate our life.

Then another nice thing happened. God smiled. I held up two ornaments—a recent gift from a dear friend. They’re small picture frames. In each, we placed the photo of our grandkids, and our tree never looked lovelier.

We’re not missing anything this year. We have the main ingredient for the recipe of true happiness. Just enough ornaments to add meaning. Just enough lights to remind us of Christ. And plenty of green to speak of the evergreen nature of Jesus’ love.

No wonder He said: “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

Pray this week:

Lord, I pray that this Christmas season you are the reason for my happiness.

Do you want Jesus to be the source of happiness? Talk to a caring Christian friend!