I am not ashamed to admit that I am a self-diagnosed "Christmas-aholic"! I love Christmas exponentially more than Scrooge or the Grinch ever thought about hating it.

I am invigorated by the music, by the celebrations, by the choirs, by the gatherings and by the delight of children as they count down the days to the birthday of a King. One of the many wonders of the Christmas season is found in the feelings of peace, joy and hope that are stirred up among humanity.

The reason that I call myself a "Christmas-aholic" is because my focus is on the heart and the eternal meaning of Christmas rather than on the trappings. Our culture is carried away by the excitement of a celebration that happens during the coldest and the darkest days of the year; thus, they ignore the lovely fact that its charming appeal is the least significant thing about it. The theology and intrinsic truth of Christmas has been hidden under brilliant wrapping paper, dazzling decorations and foolish sentiment.

There are certainly some theologically centered Christmas carols that endeavor to celebrate the wonder of Christmas and the reason why He came but most of the lyrics of this season are void of any eternal truth.

We, as believers in Jesus Christ, are custodians of a truth so eternal and so massive that its importance cannot be overstated.

God came to earth. God clothed Himself in the flesh of mankind and left the grandeur and splendor of heaven. God came not as a king, as a politician or as nobility, but He came as a baby. He left heaven behind simply because He was in love with us! What a wonder! What a miraculous truth!

The Son of God, Jesus Christ, was compelled by mercy and by love to exit the glory of eternity and to enter the confines of time. He was born one dark night among cows, sheep and oxen. There was no brass band to welcome Him; there was no royal celebration to announce Him. He came in the stillness and obscurity of a common birth.

Mary didn't decorate a nursery for Him but bled and labored to deliver this wee babe in a manger that was likely filled with straw. The stable or cave in which He took His first earthly breath was an inappropriate welcome for the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords! And yet still, even knowing what His entrance would entail, He came.

God either came to earth—or He didn't.

God either loves us—or He doesn't.

God has forgiven our sins—or He hasn't.

God either died on the cross—or He didn't.

God either rose from the dead—or He didn't.

And, the glory of Christmas is that He did! He did come, and He does love us. He has forgiven us, and He has died in our place. He rose from the dead, and it all began with Christmas.

Christians, our voice should never be thin and weak, but it should always be joyful and triumphant. We have been charged with the command to tell the world about Jesus and, therefore, share with them the miracle and the wonder of Christmas.

Christmas should be our finest hour and our loudest anthem. We must not be so lost in the romance of the magic of the season that we forget the eternal call of Christmas.

Don't waste the miracle of Christmas. It is up to us, as believers in Christ, to show love in a multitude of ways this season of caroling, giving and celebrating. We should be talking about the joy of His presence while others are wrapped in the stress, the calories and standing in long lines. We should be bringing the peace that the angels sang about to every relationship and to every argument. As the recipients of His love, Christmas is our finest hour.

Please don't allow the message and the miracle of Christmas to be lost among snowmen that dance, reindeer that sing and elves that sit on shelves. He has come. God has come to our world and has been born in the manger of our hearts. We must celebrate—we simply must! We must sing—joyfully and majestically.

Carol McLeod is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. Carol has written 11 books, including Significant, StormProof and Guide Your Mind, Guard Your Heart, Grace Your Tongue. Her teaching DVD, The Rooms of a Woman's Heart won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award for excellence in religious programming.

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