To Christians at Christmas: They Like the Frills – What About the Good Stuff?

We all tend to get dispirited when we have a problem. One thing that raises our spirits, though, is the realization that we have a solution. As Christians we lament that our culture is becoming more and more secular, where Christ’s precepts are increasingly ignored. As Christmastime rolls around, we tend to celebrate it, but not celebrate Christ? Christmas is a wonderful holiday which everyone enjoys, but Christ is less and less a part of it.
The Christmas celebration is a wonderful gift which Christ, and Christ through us, gave to the world. Clearly we are all having a great time with it, such a great time that people who don’t even call themselves Christians join in the fun. Several years ago my wife and I were in Japan as the season was approaching, and we saw decorations and Christmas trees adorning the cities; I asked why, as Japan has virtually no Christians. I was told that it was something they picked up from Western nations because it obviously was so much fun.
Great, but we have so much more to share, that being your faith itself. Professor Andrew Sims, the former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, is an expert in the field of psychology, which deals with such matters as the study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders.
Here is what he says about faith:
“The advantageous effect of religious belief and spirituality on mental and physical health is one of the best-kept secrets in psychiatry and medicine generally. If the findings of the huge volume of research on this topic had gone in the opposite direction and it had been found that religion damages your mental health, it would have been front-page news in every newspaper in the land. In the majority of studies, religious involvement is correlated with well-being, happiness and life satisfaction; hope and optimism; purpose and meaning in life; higher self-esteem; better adaptation to bereavement; greater social support and less loneliness; lower rates of depression and faster recovery from depression; lower rates of suicide and fewer positive attitudes towards suicide; less anxiety; less psychosis and fewer psychotic tendencies; lower rates of alcohol and drug use and abuse; less delinquency and criminal activity; greater marital stability and satisfaction… We concluded that for the vast majority of people the apparent benefits of devout belief and practice probably outweigh the risks.”
As Christians, we know that Dr. Sims is talking about. In addition to an enjoyable holiday time of celebration and good cheer, what if we Christians were better communicators of all of those qualities of life which Dr. Sims found through their extensive research?  Further, how about not just vastly improved years here on earth, but also if we took away people’s fear of death?  How about opening up to them what Christ said about eternity:  “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am (in Heaven).”
Knowing what we know, if we were sharing our experiences better, then America would not be losing its faith. As his followers, it is not as though we have the choice to be lazy, even selfish; besides, that’s not our nature, when we are at our best. We have life to the full; let’s share it!
Merry Christmas,
Art Hall 
From the Bible:   The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I, Christ, came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance. John 10:10