Choosing the Better Definition of Hope This Christmas

One year at Christmastime I decided to imprint the events of December 26th on my memory. That day on the calendar comes each year but is so overshadowed by the centerpiece day of the holiday season that I retain zero memories to help me answer the question, “What happens the day after Christmas?”

Each year I feel like the run up to Christmas is a full-tilt sprint, and as evening descends on the 25th I come skidding to a stop at the edge of a cliff. I teeter there peering down into the darkness and wonder what might happen next.

For at least a full month, we build anticipation leading to Christmas Day. This year, trees were appearing in windows long before Thanksgiving. There’s a feeling in the air that we need Christmas to come early this year. We crave a reason to celebrate after all we’ve endured.

I ask myself, and I also ask you, reader, what is it that you’re chasing after? What is it that you’re hoping for this Christmas?

Is it a distraction from the events of the year that you hope will bring rest to your heart and mind?

Maybe it’s the creation of family memories that you hope will fortify you for whatever 2021 brings?

Or is it a reason for joy and celebration that you hope will drown out the tumult in your mind and news feed?

The trimmings of Christmas are blessings to enjoy, for sure, but without a foundational hope in Jesus, they become hollow shadows whisked away by the turning of a calendar page on December 26th.

The trimmings of #Christmas are blessings to enjoy, for sure, but without a foundational #hope in Jesus, they become hollow shadows whisked away by the turning of a calendar page on December 26th. Share on X

Two Definitions of Hope

I looked up the definition of “hope.” The first two entries read like this:

1. To cherish a desire with anticipation : to want something to happen or be true.

2. TRUST
Merriam-Webster Dictionary

When it comes to Christmas, I’m usually experiencing the hope described in number one. I want to experience the warmth of togetherness. I long for picturesque moments curled up with Christmas blend coffee by the glowing tree.

Christmas inspires anticipation of gift-giving and receiving, cookie-baking, carol-singing, and more. We hope for these things, and we long for their coming.

But these desirable markers of the holiday season are not the sum of our hope.

The hope we have in Jesus is built on the unshakable faithfulness and promise-keeping nature of God himself.

The hope we have in Jesus is built on the unshakable faithfulness and promise-keeping nature of God himself. #hope Share on X

Remember definition #2? To hope is to trust. First and foremost, we trust God’s words are true. Just as he fulfilled his Old Testament promises to send our Redeemer, we can also trust his New Testament promises that he is coming again.

On its own, hope definition #1 without definition #2 is swept away and forgotten when we throw away the wrapping paper, pack up our ornaments, and wash the last of the party dishes. And then what? If those adornments became the objects of our hope, then we wake on December 26th with a sense of loss and let-down.

However, definition #1 added to #2 results in the awe and wonder of a Savior who came and who is to come again. Simultaneously, we trust God and his promises while also longing for them mightily. We stand on trust and anticipate his second coming with great joy.

This is why we have hope that endures into December 26th and beyond.

How to Refocus Our Hope

In Ephesians, Paul says this:

“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints”
Ephesians 1:16-18 ESV (emphasis mine)

I pray that stirs your soul as it does mine.

We are called to hope. And how can we know that hope? We know it and attach ourselves to it when our hearts become enlightened. This enlightenment comes from “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him.”

It all comes back to God and knowing him.

Distractions pull at us this month. The fear of not missing out on a sale, a fun family activity, or a well-planned meal can prevent us from taking time to invest in our true priority—knowing God and seeing his gift of love wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Don’t Lose Sight of December 26th

If you’re wondering what happened the one year when I set an intention to engrave the events of December 26th in my memory, I can tell you the answer is…not much. Our family of four went to Home Depot, we ate leftovers, and I went to bed early. Compared to the sparkle and shine of the 25th, we could consider it a let-down day. But it’s only a let-down if the reason for our hope is gone until next year. Let me assure you, friend, that is not the case.

Our reason for hope endures. I’m thankful to remember that December 26th because it serves as a reminder that as good and enjoyable as the season’s festivities may be, our hope is built on something infinitely greater—the unchanging faithfulness of God.

A Prayer as You Go

Father God,

Thank you that you have called us to hope. Help us to see your beauty and goodness this Christmas. Remind us that all of your good gifts are a reflection of the greatest gift of all—Jesus come down to earth to die for our sins. Draw us to yourself, to see you with greater clarity, and to know you more. Bring us back to your Word. Thank you for a hope that endures season after season, year after year. Blessed be the name of Jesus.

In his name we pray,

Amen.