By Karen Y. Stevens

Well, it’s the month of October, and all the holidays begin.

This use to be my favorite time of year, and in a lot of aspects, still is.

I joined a new Bible Study this semester, and in the study, it talks about all of God’s Festivals that He gave to the Israelites. God gave them permission to let loose, so to speak, but for the purpose of remembering what God had done for them.

A celebration of God, more than a party. I won’t get on my soap box about how the Holidays have been corrupted by big business, instead of honoring God, (or maybe I will).

Halloween was originally created to remember the dead. Yes, there are all sorts of stories on the origin, but I think everyone can agree that the main part of the holiday is about the dead, or remembering the dead.

Thanksgiving is the holiday to give thanks. As for the Fall Holidays, Thanksgiving is the closest holiday to honoring God. We give thanks for our loved ones, and the things we have. I’m unsure if society is thanking God for these things, or just making themselves feel lucky for what they do have.

And, then there’s Christmas. I know it is Jesus’s birthday (or a day they picked out of the air to honor Jesus’s birthday), but society does not honor Jesus or God, on this holiday. I know there are the lone few that do. They will go out of their way to bake a birthday cake for Jesus, put the nativities out, etc.

As young parents, we are taught to throw the biggest and best birthday party for our children. Oh, there is a little part in the planning that we are doing for our child, but it always gets away from us, and turns into a major event, to please everyone else. We tend to lose site of the goal.

I know I have lost site of the goal, on the holidays that honor God.

Why can’t we honor God with all the great Jewish holidays that God set in motion? Yes, the Old Testament is in the past, but Jesus said He came to fulfill the law, not do away with it.

I know most of them were just for the Jewish people, to remind them of what God did for them, but the First fruits festival is for all of us.

We honor God by paying tithes with our first fruits as in our gross pay, not our net. We can do that each week, biweekly, or monthly. However, you’re paid. I know there are many out there that do just that, but do you make a big deal out of it at least once a year, so you don’t lose sight of who is providing for you?

Or the Feast of the Harvest. We can all celebrate the fact we have plenty of food to eat.

I guess it does not matter what your holiday is; it matters why you’re celebrating that holiday. What’s in your heart? What’s in your soul? What is your attitude? Let’s keep asking ourselves these questions throughout the holidays this year.

It will remind us to honor God, and a little less of Santa Claus.

 

Karen Y. Stevens is founder of the Orange County Christian Writers Guild