Christmas is a time filled with an abundance of joyous and wonderful things. The songs that fill the air, the twinkling decorations, the anticipation that builds, the heartwarming programs, and, of course, the beloved Christmas specials on TV all contribute to the enchantment of the season. As a child, I eagerly awaited the airing of Christmas shows like Charlie Brown Christmas, It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and many others, each one adding a touch of magic to the festive season. 

Back in those days, before VHS tapes, DVDs, subscription programming, and movie streaming, we had to check the TV Guide to see when one of the three network channels had scheduled the Christmas specials. Nothing short of a natural disaster could deter us from planning to gather and watch one of these special shows that only aired once a year.

One of the favorite Christmas shows of all time is Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It told the story of a crusty, grouchy, green creature who fled to Mount Crumpit, away from Whoville, to escape the overly exuberant citizens and their fascination with Christmas. However, even in his mean, nasty vileness, he had a loyal little pet dog named Max, who carefully longed for the culture of happiness in Whoville.  The story proposes possible reasons for the Grinch's grinchiness: "Maybe his shoes were too tight, or his head wasn't screwed on just right, or perhaps his heart was just too small."

The plot line for the entire show springs on the Grinch's statement and follow-up question to himself: "I must stop Christmas from coming, but how?" He then concocts a grandiose idea to imitate Santa and steal all that Christmas represents in Whoville. He crafts a sleigh, and a red Santy suit and even makes Max a makeshift reindeer antler. He goes to Whoville on Christmas Eve and steals everything from the Whos. In a cynical sigh of accomplishment, he concludes, they will cry "boo-hoo."

The story is about perception and reality. The Grinch's perception was incorrect. Christmas wasn't about things, presents, decorations, and songs. Christmas came anyway.  "It didn't come from a store …" (the reality is that Christmas) "…means a little bit more!" His heart grows, he starts to care, and he returns what he took.

Has the Grinch stolen our Christmas? I'm not referring to a fictitious green character living on Mount Crumpit! Has the true spirit of Christmas been stolen right out from under our noses?

There are three areas to consider:

Has the Grinch robbed us of our Diligence? Let us take a moment and refer to the story of the Magi. In Matthew 2:1, wise men came from the east to the palace in Jerusalem and asked, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews, for we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship Him." There was an enthusiastic excitement. The people of Jerusalem must have recognized that this wasn't a bunch of tourists strolling into town. They were the Magi. They were knowledgeable scholars of the heavens and of the times. They were students of the Scriptures who knew of prophetic writings and correlated that with much astronomical data. They came with great anticipation and probably assumed everyone would be looking for Him, too!

They were very diligent in seeking Jesus. It was a challenging trip. These wealthy nobles took significant personal risks and were placed in many uncomfortable situations in their arduous journey to seek Jesus. They were determined not to quit until they had found the Messiah.

We've all seen the phrase "wise men still seek Him." Do we? Rather than diligently seeking Jesus, have we allowed apathy to replace diligence?

Secondly, has the Grinch stolen the Delight of Christmas? The Matthew 2 passage says, "When they saw the star, (they) rejoiced with exceeding great joy (v. 10)." That simply means they could not contain themselves. Have you ever been so joyful that you couldn't contain it? When was that? What was it that provided you with overwhelming joy? And more importantly, how can we recapture that joy and delight in the true meaning of Christmas?

Where is our Delight at Christmastime?  Is it in the decorations, the tree, the lights, the gifts?  Has our Delight in the simple message of Christmas been replaced by the tasks, schedules, programs, events, and expectations at this time of year? Has our Delight been replaced with drudgery (got to put up the decorations), disappointment (didn't get the gift I wanted), and discouragement (Christmas reminds me of all that I don't have)? If we are not vigilant, Christmas will soon fade into ceremonial commercialism.

Finally, perhaps the Grinch has stolen our Devotion to Christ at Christmastime. Remember when the Magi found Jesus and went into the house where He was, they fell down and worshipped Him and gave Him precious gifts (Matthew 2:11). There was a focus on worshipping Christ. He is to be the center of Christmas.  Interestingly, when these Wisemen approached Herod, they did not bow to him, nor are we told that they gave him a single thing. Why such great devotion? They understood that Jesus was God in the flesh, born to be our Savior from sin, destined to return in power and great glory as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

A popular slogan often admonished in all the Christmas tapestries is, "Jesus is the reason for the season." That is an incorrect statement. Jesus' birth is the focal point of the season, but we are the reason for the season. He came to pay for man's sins. Since man is doomed by his sin, there was a need for a Savior. He was Born to Die!

Has our devotion been stolen and replaced with distractions? Could we have forgotten to worship Christ at Christmas? What are we really left with if we omit worship from our Christmas activities? Buying presents? Holiday activities? Sentimental feelings? Christmas junk food? None of these things are wrong, but they're not what Christmas is all about. Christmas is, above all else, a time to worship the Son of God and give ourselves fully to Him.

To keep our Christmas from being stolen, let us all recommit our hearts to diligently seek Him, delight in having found Him, and dedicate ourselves to worship Him. If we all do this, Christmas will never be taken from us.