The God of the Bible is one of celebration!  Just look at the Old Testament.  Feasts were commanded -- Feasts full of sacrifices, food, music and time spent in celebration.  Some feasts lasted days and others weeks.  But God called His people to not just celebrate but to celebrate with a purpose.  The feasts were meant to remember God’s provisions and deliverance!   

So bring on the lights, the decorations, the trees, gifts, food and music!  Let’s celebrate this Christmas season with a purpose.  We are celebrating Jesus -- The One who was born in order to make a way for our eternal salvation!  I don’t know about you but my salvation is worth a month long feast!

I do realize it’s tempting to become jaded about the Christmas season.  We all have to fight the pull of commercialism and expectations. We live in an overindulgent society that easily invades the heart.  To be honest, it is a challenge each year to keep Christmas as an intimate celebration between me and my God. This year I discovered a very simple way to keep my Christmas preparation and activities focused and purposeful.  It came from God’s commands to the Israelites in Numbers 15:37-41

37  The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come, you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. 40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.”  Numbers 15:37-41

The word prostitute is the idea of exchanging intimate actions for money for one’s livelihood.

The word chasing is the idea of hunting, pursuing or seizing in order to overtake.

I don’t know about you but at times, it can feel like I disregard way too many personal boundaries in order to have the perfect Christmas; financially, physically and spiritually. The empty feeling the day after Christmas is very telling. And the definition of chasing sounds very familiar to December 22nd when I’m frantically looking for that last gift. Why is it so easy to get utterly distracted from celebrating my God during the Christmas season?    

The pulls and lures of society provide unhealthy food for the heart. They may look differently today than in 500 BC but the outcome is the same; misplaced devotion. And God knows His children.  He knows we need reminders.  

As another Christmas season approaches I am challenged once again to remember I am celebrating Jesus, who was born to begin the gentle unfolding of the gift of salvation.   So I decided to, “Tassel My Christmas!”

Let me explain. As I reflected on these verses and my heart’s desire to remember why I am celebrating Christmas, I decided to purchase a small blue tassel as a reminder.  I hung it on my rearview mirror in my car. I recently caught myself feeling very tense as I was running errands in preparation for Christmas day. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the tassel and reached up.  I gently held my tassel and said, “I’m celebrating you, Jesus!”  That little act of awareness instantly pulled me back to my purpose of celebrating the Christmas season.  And an intimate calm replaced my anxiety. 

I am celebrating my Savior this Christmas season.  And actually, every day of the year is a celebration of the new life He has given me!  So I may just keep that little blue tassel on my rearview mirror as a daily reminder to celebrate my Jesus in all I say and do. But for now, it is helping me remember God’s provision and deliverance in the daily preparations.  So celebrate with a purpose this Christmas season and Tassel Your Christmas!