To the Editor:

After Christmas, Americans will be complaining about standing in line to return gifts they didn’t want. They should be thankful they received something they could return. The average American child would be thrilled to wake up to find in his stocking one piece of candy and one piece of fruit 250 years ago. That was all. His mother might receive one handkerchief and father nothing. Prosperity hasn’t made us better people.

Some Christians don’t celebrate Christmas because it’s become so commercialized with so many distractions (Santa, trees, etc.) from the reason for the season-Jesus. However, in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and 3, Paul tells us not to have conflict about minor issues and in chapter 9 tells us he looked for all opportunities to tell different people about Jesus. Christmas is the perfect opportunity to tell people about Jesus! Christians should make Christmas more spiritual and meaningful by reading the Bible, attending church and thanking God the Father for sending Jesus to be the savior of the world. Jesus’s birth was “tidings of great joy.” Another “tidings of great joy” is soon coming when Jesus says to his church family, “come up here !”

We live in a time and world where desires and goals are temporary and based on material things rather than on Jesus. In contrast, Jesus gives stability, structure, significance, joy, peace, hope, purpose, and eternal life. The Bible says every good gift comes from Jesus and Jesus holds everything together. All our gifts under the tree are temporal in nature, just like all our belongings. In a day, they can be taken from us through flood, earthquake, economic depression, thieves, terrorist, fire or any means God allows. Our prays go out to people who, because of the death of loved ones, Christmas won’t be the happiest time of the year as it once was.

Material blessings are ours to use and care for but not to clutch tightly in our hands. Only God can keep a cherished treasured possession forever. The Bible says God’s children are His treasured possession. We are all God’s creation but aren’t all children of God. The Bible says in Galatians 3:26, “we are sons of God through faith in Jesus.” However much money we make or things we accumulate, at the moment of death, we have zero income and no things. We can’t take it with us. However, if we trust Jesus and make Jesus our Savior, Jesus will take us with Him. Who needs Christmas presents under the tree when you have Jesus’ presence in you? Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season. Hold tightly to no gift but Jesus, who holds you now and forever!

D.D. Nave

Elizabethton