Christmas in the Marketplace

PROGRAM W-1758

I love the sounds of Christmas—I’m sure you do, too. But there are many things I don’t like about our Christmas season. For many people, Christmas is just an excuse to party, celebrate, entertain, buy, and sell, and it has very little, if anything, to do with the birth of Christ.

For those of us who really have a reason to celebrate Christmas—because we have personally come to know Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of our lives—this secular use of Christmas can be quite disturbing. I find myself wanting to shout at people, “Hey, wait a minute! You don’t even know what Christmas is all about! Have your parties, if you must, but please, don’t use Jesus as an excuse!” I imagine you’ve felt that frustration as well.

There’s no biblical institution called “Christmas.” Jesus never told us to set aside a day or time to celebrate his birth. We don’t see any sign of it in the early church. However, in my opinion, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to have a certain day to celebrate the birth of Jesus. A biblical principle we see over and over is that we should remember what God has done for us in the past. If we use Christmas as a way to remind ourselves of how Jesus came into this world in order to become our Savior, it certainly can be a wonderful time for us as Christians!

What, then, do we do about celebrating Christmas in our working worlds? When we get invited to the company party or other non-religious celebrations, what should we do?

Here are some guidelines from the Word of God to help us find answers to those questions:

It’s good to remember that Jesus was not a separatist. He did not by example or by instruction tell us to remove ourselves from every situation that was not religious or holy. In fact, he prayed for us in John 17, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (John 17:16).

You’ll remember how the Pharisees got all upset when he purposely had dinner with sinners and associated with those non-religious people of his day. Jesus made it a point of telling them that he had come to save sinners, not righteous people, and he mixed with those sinners, sometimes at their own affairs.

We are not called to be separatists. We are called to remain in this world as light in darkness and salt in a tasteless environment. We won’t reach people for Jesus by staying in our corners and hoping they’ll come over to see us there. We have to reach out to them where they are. If you see your job as your mission field—as I believe every Christian should—then you’re there in that non-religious, non-holy place to bring light. We don’t do that by being separatists.

However, that guiding principle must be balanced with other principles in Scripture. For example, we read in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” So we must remember that, though we are not called to be separatists, we are called to do everything to the glory of God.

One way to constantly monitor the balancing act between being in the world but not being a part of the world is to check out our motives. Why are we participating in these non-religious celebrations? Is it just because we don’t want to be different? Are we going for political reasons? Are we going because we’re afraid not to? If your motives fall into those categories, then you’re getting into spiritually dangerous territory.

Another important guideline is to consider the effect it will have on others. Could your participation be a stumbling block to someone else? In Romans 14 Paul says we are to remember that not one of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself. Verse 13 says, “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” As Christians, we must always be careful that what we do is not misinterpreted or misunderstood, thereby causing others to stumble.

While it’s very true that we don’t live in fear of what other people will think, nor is it possible to make everybody happy, it’s also true that we are called to be extra-milers. In some cases, this might mean adjusting our plans and behavior—not because it would be wrong for us, but because it would be a stumbling block to others who would misunderstand.

Another principle I see in Scripture which I believe applies to this issue is found in 1 Corinthians 9:19, 22, where Paul says “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”

For Paul, the most important thing was to have an opportunity to tell others about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Therefore, within the limits of morality and the law, without violating any of God’s principles, he was willing to be whatever he had to be and do whatever he had to do to have those opportunities.

You must ask yourself this: would participation in these celebrations give you an opportunity to talk to and reach out to people? We’ve seen how Jesus practiced this principle—going where they were, and into their worlds to reach them. Would that be a possibility for you in these situations? Much caution needs to be exercised in making these decisions, along with lots of prayer, thought, and counsel from other Christians. However, I believe if we consider these guiding principles, we’ll know whether we should participate in those non-religious celebrations of Christmas or not.

Now I want to explore some positive, creative things we can do to use Christmas as an opening: a way to start talking about what Jesus means to us; a way to get people we work with to know us better and build friendships; a way to open up avenues for sharing with others.

A friend of mine who worked in an office in Chicago did a creative thing one Christmas. She brought her nativity scene to work and arranged it in a lovely display near her desk. Rarely do we see nativity scenes in business environments. You’ll see trees and lots of Santa Claus, but not much to remind you that Christmas is all about Jesus. My friend, Linda, took her nativity scene as a way to remind herself and others of the real meaning of Christmas.

It was a lovely set and attracted attention. One woman who was fairly new in the company noticed it and started talking to Linda about it. That conversation led to lunch and even some dinners together. Linda had an opportunity to build bridges of friendship. She related that this new girl was quite a different personality type from her, and they had viewed each other a bit suspiciously beforehand, figuring they had nothing in common. They soon discovered that they enjoyed talking and liked each other, and now they have a friendship.

And it all started with a nativity scene on display near her desk! Linda now has a new friend and a new opportunity to share Christ with her. Perhaps you might be able to do that in your work place. It could open up conversations, and also help to remind everyone of the real meaning of Christmas.

Another good idea at Christmas is to use this opportunity to invite people to your church for a special occasion. In our church, our Christmas concert is a very special treat: the church is full, the music is beautiful, and our pastor always presents the gospel. Invitations to Christmas programs are non-threatening, and many times people will accept those invitations where they might not agree to come to a regular service. I think the Christmas season gives us good opportunities to reach out in those ways.

Also, it’s a great time to open up your own home to others. Why not plan a party for some of your co-workers on your own turf? Open up your home and invite them to come after work for a buffet or something real simple. Your home or your apartment is a resource that needs to be used for the Lord. It doesn’t matter that your furnishings are simple; honestly, that’s not what impresses people. They’re impressed to think you’d actually invite them to your home.

If you wait until you think your home or apartment is what it should be, you’ll probably never invite anyone. People don’t notice the ragged edge on the sofa, the TV trays that serve as tables, or the dishes you bought at a garage sale! That things are not important! Take the resources God has given you and use them. Open up your home and invite people in. It’s a wonderful way to minister.

You can use that occasion to get to know people and you’re in the driver’s seat. You determine what is served and what isn’t, what kind of music is played, where the conversation goes, etc. And you don’t have to be a gourmet cook. Have cold cuts if that’s all you can do. The important thing is to be hospitable—that’s a biblical principle, and Christmas is a wonderful excuse to exercise it. This could change a lot of relationships in your work environment, as people come into your home and share with you in those surroundings.

We can also use the Christmas season as a conversation opener. It’s more natural to talk about religious subjects at this time of year, and people are usually more willing to be open. Something simple like “How do you celebrate Christmas in your home?” or “How do you feel about Christmas?” can get people to talking and give you some opportunities to share your faith in Christ—why Christmas is meaningful to you.

Let’s take the celebration of Christmas back from the world and use it as an opportunity to focus on Jesus Christ! This means each of us has to keep from getting caught up in the hustle-bustle. It means we need to spend time praying and meditating personally on Jesus and what his birth means to us. We must make sure that we’re not being stuffed into the world’s mold and celebrating in the same way they do. But rather that, in the midst of all the clamor, we are quietly, peacefully focused on the Person who came to earth in that humble manner—God in person—to bring us life!