Happy Holidays!
(just kidding)
It is about this time of year where the world starts telling everyone to “get in the holiday spirit!”
What this phrase really means is that there is an attitude that people expect others to have in December due to Christmas.
I too, want to get in the holiday spirit. I want to get in the proper attitude for this time of year. But not the attitude that the grocery store clerk is thinking of when they say “happy holidays” to me during checkout…
As always, when the world is celebrating events opposite from what God wants – such as Christmas, people like you and me are likely preparing ourselves for this event spiritually. We rehearse our defense, rehearse our reasons, and research again using the bible and historical origin, etc. But sometimes we can adopt the wrong type of attitude because of the way we believe.
This scripture should serve as the underpinning for our “holiday spirit”, or attitude:
- “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” – 1Pet 3:15
Look at the first part of this verse. This tells us that we should be giving an answer to all those who question us about our faith.
Unfortunately, a lot of times in our faith walk we can take this to the extreme – and become subconsciously superior in our own mind. Some of us feel emboldened by God’s Word, as if we have some special gift no one else does (news flash – no one actually believes Jesus was born on Christmas – people just don’t care). When someone starts to think that they have a knowledge that most of the world does not, they subconsciously become “better”. This leads to an attitude of being overzealous (think of Luke 9:54), self-righteous, arrogant, and offensive.
That is why I call this the Superior Attitude.
How many times throughout the Bible does Yah tell us to be humble? Shouldn’t this approach apply even more when we are representing Him to the world?
Don’t go overboard. Be as “wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove” (Matt 10:16). We should never be seeking situations to throw the truth in the face of others. We all know “those people”. Some of us even are “those people”, depending on the topic.
Yeshua did not go from house to house, pointing at every sinner and telling them everything they did wrong. This would only turn people off. No one ever saw a cardboard sign on the side of the road during a pride-parade that said “Repent, Sinners!” and then turned around and did just that.
“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” – Rom 12:18
When we give an answer for the faith we have, when we represent God and bear witness to His ways, we should not intentionally do it to offend others. Now, undoubtedly it will offend some, but we should not seek out offending others.
This requires us to check if we have a Superior Attitude. Ask yourself:
1 – What am I about to say and how am I going to say it?
2 – Why am I going to say it?
3 – Do I really believe that I will achieve the intended outcome (#2) by following through on saying this (#1)?
If we are being honest with ourselves, most of the time the answer to #3 is “No.”, but we proceed with it anyway because we are right and that other guy is wrong. If our intention is just to be right at the risk of turning someone further away from truth, that’s not the right approach.
Now, while a Superior Attitude makes us feel like the world is not right with us, there’s such thing as an Inferior Attitude, which is the opposite. It’s when we feel like we are not right with the world.
The second part of 1Pet 3:15 addresses this next attitude (we are supposed to be ‘meek’). Just like the first half, we can take this end to the extreme too!
Many times, this holiday season is despised by those who have come to the truth. We dread it. We can experience feelings of tension, exclusion, feel frustrated, and sometimes embarrassed. Sometimes I find myself avoiding situations and conversations that I know would lead to “why don’t you celebrate Christmas” questions, just because I don’t want to deal with it.
But what does avoiding these things mean? Are we scared? Yeshua has strong words for those who act this way:
- “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed…” – Mark 8:38
If we avoid being a witness, if we avoid explaining our beliefs in order to avoid problems or uncomfortable situations, we are showing Yah that we are ashamed of His way!
All of us have to deal with the dreaded Christmas cards from family members, or Christmas gifts from coworkers, family, or friends – and of course the common Merry Christmas greeting at stores and on the street.
Should we ignore these in order to create less stress? Should we hide away and lock ourselves in our home for the season? Should we say thank you and move on?
Or, as in 1Pet 3:15 – are we always supposed to give an answer?
How do we do this then? How can we have an attitude that is not Superior, and an attitude that is not Inferior?
Let’s go back to the original scripture 1Pet 3:15 and look at it in its entirety:
- “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” – 1Pet 3:15
Combined together, this is what I call the Godly Attitude.
Here’s a practical approach to having this attitude when responding to others this season and every season:
- Do not make the topic (Christmas) about religion unless the other does it too;
- Give short explanations, only give enough to satisfy curiosity. They usually have neither the time nor interest for a detailed explanation;
- Maintain your sense of humor while being firm, this will keep others from getting offended while ending any further arguments;
- Put the burden of proof on those who are acting contrary to God (celebrating Christmas). God convicts the heart, not you;
- Preach with your example more than your voice. Do not go out of your way and change your regular routine in order to avoid incorrect things or discussions (like Christmas). Show your Creator that you are going to be a strong shining light in the midst of darkness. You can’t preach by your example if you are nowhere to be found.
So, let’s get into the holiday spirit! (Obviously these attitudes and situations apply to much much more than just Christmas)
Do not feel Superior with the knowledge we have. Let’s avoid feelings or self-righteous and of being better than those in the world. We ourselves have only just come out from amongst them! We need to avoid intentional offending and harshly representing God’s way in an attacking way.
Do not feel Inferior by being separate from the world. We need to push past feelings of being uncomfortable or embarrassed. We need to stop intentionally avoiding situations and ignoring our call to represent Yah’s way to the world.
Instead:
- We should be firm and humble;
- Straightforward and peaceable;
- We should be addressing every situation and planting seeds, or opening the door a crack for others, instead of repulsing people away from the truth.
Let us all have a Godly Attitude.
Shabbat Shalom!
Josh
