This Christmas season has been packed with craziness: buying/making the perfect gifts within our budget for our loved ones, packing and getting ready to move, spending time with friends and family, and barely having time to breathe. While I have loved every minute of coming up with gifts, getting ready to move, and spending time with loved ones, I feel like the true meaning of Christmas has gotten kind of lost in the jumble of excitement.
I finally sat down last week and really thought about Christmas, and I have tried to keep the right spirit with me as I have gone through the rest of this season. Now, just a couple days before Christmas, I want to share with you what I have learned and my testimony of the Christ.
Christmas is a great time of celebration. It's when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Christ, our king, was born in humble conditions. He was born in a stable and laid in a manger because there was no room in the inn. The only thing extravagant about the birth of our king was God sending the Spirit to testify into the hearts of men that Christ had come. The Shepherds and the wise men came to visit. The wise men brought the babe gifts, and they had faith in what was to come to pass.
Why is the birth of this child so important? Well, it's one miracle that brought forth the series of miracles that would be Christ's life. And Christ isn't just any ordinary man. He is the master teacher, leader, friend, brother, and king.
Christ was sent here to save us from our sins and death. His life exemplified many attributes and qualities of life that we need to become our best selves.
He taught me how to love.
He taught me about gratitude.
He taught and showed me mercy.
He taught me sacrifice. And service.
He taught the plan of salvation.
He taught me about my divine heritage and role in the kingdom of God.
He taught me faith. And trust.
I could go on and on about what Christ has taught me, what He has taught all of us.
In His Atonement, Christ suffered for my (our)
- pains
- afflications
- temptations
- infirmities
- transgressions
He loosed the bonds of death.
He suffered so He would know how to succor each of us in our time of need.
Christ has give me the ultimate gift: the ability to return to my Father in Heaven. Without Christ, there would be no way.
He has taught me all I need to know about life.
So, at this wonderful time of year, we share our love with each other. We follow Christ's example and celebrate His birth by serving and giving to others. Of course, we should do that anyway, but the Christmas season really is a time of pure love.
The problem is that the Christmas season is tainted by the world's commercialization. We spend so much time focusing on gifts: giving gifts, receiving gifts, and so forth. I know I'm not alone in spending tons of time and energy trying to find the perfect gift, and also deciding what I want so I can tell the people who ask me what I want. The focus on gifts is not bad, obviously. We give gifts out of love. And Christmas is about love.
But what I hope I never forget is what Christ has given me and why I give gifts at this time of year. It's because of love for those around me, giving back what I can, and showing gratitude to those who have served me throughout the year. I give because I want to be as much like Christ as I can.
I'm grateful for the sweet peace offered me through the gospel and the Atonement.
I'm grateful for the gifts I have been given so I can serve and further the work of God.
I'm grateful for a loving family. And I'm grateful for the ability and opportunity to love them back.
I'm grateful for opposition and trials. They teach me my weaknesses and help me become stronger and come unto Christ.
I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ and what He has done for me. I know that without Him I am nothing. None of the good I do or have done is because of me. It's because He is guiding me and has touched my life. It's because His gospel has made me who I am, and I am continuously trying to become more like Him. I'm not perfect, but I don't have to be. I just have to try, and when I fail, I can repent and try again.
I'm so grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the birth of my Savior, my king who has given me everything I have. I'm grateful for the things I have learned this year through His Atonement.
I am so excited for my first Christmas with the Luthis, and I am excited for the many Christmases to come with both the Herlins and Luthis, along with my own little family. But amidst the holiday giving, receiving, and service, I hope I never lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas, the meaning behind all the wrapping.
For more information or good reading about Christmas, I loved this talk by President Monson in this year's devotional: https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/christmas-devotional/2012/12/christmas-is-love?lang=eng&query=christmas
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