A Sin-Free Celebration

It’s a party. It’s a celebration. It’s a special occasion. It wouldn’t be Christmas without sugar cookies, honey ham, and ____________ (fill in the blank).


We are conditioned. We attend holiday events, Christmas programs, and New Year’s Eve parties expecting to graze on finger food and sip on holiday punch. We show up to the big family meal ready to gorge. It’s tradition.

It’s time to re-evaluate these traditions. (Yes, there is biblical precedence of feasting during a time of celebration. But I would wager the food they were eating wasn’t filled with the preservatives and processed ingredients our bodies crave these days. And the food supplemented the special occasion, not the other way around.) Go back to the basics. What is the purpose of food? Do not use a special occasion as an excuse to eat improperly (overeat, undereat, eat wrong foods). Note: I did not say, “Do not eat.” I am saying, “Do not sin.”

In the next few weeks, we will be tempted in numerous ways to sin within the area of eating. Short of staying home (and believe me, I have done that), we cannot avoid the temptation. So we must be ready for battle. Put on the armor of God (see Ephesians 6:10-18). Stand firm in faith, not fear.

Ask yourself if you are using any of the above excuses to justify eating improperly. If so, repent and replace the lies with truth. Seek God’s face. Allow the Holy Spirit to tell you what is appropriate to eat and what isn’t. Know your limits. Go to your celebration ready to fellowship and celebrate the real reason for the gathering.

Here are a few verses I find helpful to dispel the above lies:

“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” (Exodus 23:2)

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Gal. 5:16)

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. . . . Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.” (Rom. 14: 17-18, 20)

Let me encourage you to follow Truth. You will be grateful. And God’s purposes will be fulfilled in you.

Father,
We recognize that You are the great I AM and bow at Your throne. We know that Your Spirit works within us to accomplish Your purposes. I pray that we will rest in Your peace and trust You to guide us in the area of food. We thank You for the gift of Jesus and celebrate His birth, life, death, and resurrection.

Merry Christmas!