Resisting the “Christmas Spirit”

John’s freshman English class had a very important upcoming group project—they had to write and stage a Christmas play. As the classroom began to divide into several groups, John knew he had to tell his teacher that he could not participate. You see, as a teen in God’s Church, he simply could not be part of anything related to this holiday.

But, thoughts to justify his participation quickly ran through John’s mind: “Well, I’m not really celebrating Christmas—and I do need this grade.” “What will all my classmates say if I don’t go along?” “Is it really wrong if I take part in it in just a limited way?” “What should I do?”

John decided to approach his teacher, and tell her that he could not continue with this Christmas-related project.

“What do you mean you don’t celebrate Christmas?” the teacher replied to him. All eyes were now on him. “Well, it’s against my religious beliefs,” John said, as the stares of thirty classmates burned into his flesh. “But, Christmas celebrates Christ’s birth—what’s more religious than that?” the teacher shot back. “Fine, sit in the back and I’ll find a replacement assignment for you.”

To one degree or another, all teens in the Church face similar pressures to participate in Christmas. Whether having to politely refrain from Christmas school assignments, reject an invitation to a Christmas party, turn down food from a Christmas lunch, say “No” to a Christmas gift, etc., Christmas is a difficult time.

“But,” you may ask yourself, “how important is it that I stay away from Christmas? Since I’m not baptized, does God really expect me to stay away from a worldly custom that everyone else keeps?”

You may be surprised, but the answer is a resounding YES! God expects you—as a pioneer of His soon-coming perfect society—to stand against the current. But, as December 25th approaches, you must prepare now, and be ready to stand your ground without compromise—to properly go against the Christmas-keeping crowd, and to be a witness of God’s truth to your peers.

Is Christmas Really Pagan?

Christmas is thought by most to be a wonderful time that focuses on the birth of Christ, gift-giving, family togetherness, beautiful music and decorations, eating special meals and singing Christmas carols. Surely, the Bible must teach that God’s people celebrate this—right?

Wrong! And most are unaware of this fact. Notice: “But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9). “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men...And [Christ] said unto them, Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:8-9).

History clearly shows that Christmas is rooted in paganism—and is a tradition of men contrary to biblical teaching. To prove this, and to uncover this holiday’s origin, read our free booklet The True Origin of Christmas.

What to Do

So what does God expect you, a teen, to do after examining the truth about Christmas? How should you deal with the pressures that will only increase as December 25th draws near? While the following four points are not a “cure-all” for avoiding awkward situations, they will help you to prepare for them.

Be informed: The number one key to not being nervous if you are asked (possibly probed) about your beliefs by friends and teachers is to be ready with an answer. Take the time to read the Christmas booklet and to solidify the truths of God in your mind.

Notice the following examples of how all in God’s Church, including unbaptized teens, must be ready to answer others: “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man” (Col. 4:6).

What will be the result of heeding the above instruction? Notice what happened to Christ: “And no man was able to answer [Christ] a word, neither did any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions” (Matt. 22:46). “...and they marveled at His answer, and held their peace” (Luke 20:26).

Be honest with yourself: Keep in mind that God not only sees your physical actions, but knows your thoughts as well. If you simply avoid participating in Christmas, yet secretly wish to be part of it, you are making a grave mistake!

Take control of your mind. Determine to never compromise in either action or thought. Refuse to allow yourself to fall prey to your own worst enemy—your human reasoning. If you start to reason that going to a Christmas party or accepting a Christmas gift isn’t really celebrating Christmas, then you are starting down the slippery slope of self-deceit. With this in mind, avoid dwelling on ideas telling you to give in to a supposed minor point regarding Christmas. Remember, God sees everything—even your thoughts!

Be sensible: Remember to only answer people if they ask you why you do not celebrate Christmas. Stay away from flaunting your beliefs in someone else’s face. Although what you tell them is the truth of God, they will not understand this and could take your words as a personal attack. Be kind when stating your beliefs, not accusative or offensive.

Be sensible with your words. Choose them carefully. Don’t start out by saying, “Christmas originated with child sacrifices.” Instead, talk about how Christmas is a celebration that started long ago, used to worship pagan gods, and that you cannot go along with it simply because “everyone’s doing it.” Some in your classroom may try to tease or mock you for your beliefs, but don’t let this bother you. In fact, although painful, you should be happy for this trial. Why?—because God sees your reactions and will reward you for taking a stand: “Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake” (Matt. 5:11).

Be understanding: Avoid the mentality of “What is wrong with these people? Why don’t they understand what I’m telling them?” Growing up in God’s Church, you are hearing and learning things that others in the world must be “drawn” by God (John 6:44) before being able to understand. For this reason, while some of your friends and teachers may find your reasons for not celebrating Christmas interesting (although not interesting enough to act upon), most will simply not understand where you are coming from. They will disagree with you—and sometimes even try to argue with you.

With this in mind, ask God for patience in dealing with this trial. It is difficult to respond in a calm manner when you are in the midst of a verbal “typhoon.” But ask God for patience and understanding, and that He will help you to exercise self-control.

You will find it reassuring to think about the coming millennium, a time when you will instruct others, as a teacher under Christ’s rule. You may again have a chance to teach that same person who witnessed your example of being a light in today’s dark world.

Facing “Fiery” Pressure

No one likes pressure. Everyone prefers enjoyment and walking through life with a generally carefree experience. However, life—especially the life of someone following God’s Way—is not always like this. The Bible is filled with accounts of people who faced difficult trials and times of testing. Some failed. Others were victorious.

One such example is found in Daniel 3. It drives the point home for young people struggling with how much they need to stand up for the truths of the Bible. Study the examples of three young men—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who refused to bow down before an idol of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Although everyone else worshipped this image, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego knew that this would be sin against God—and they simply did not do it.

Verses 16 to 18 record their words to this powerful king: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer you in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.”

What happened to them? Were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego ridiculed? Were they embarrassed in front of others, or seen as being “weird” for not participating in such an activity?

Far worse! The account continues, “And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were...cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace...Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spoke, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

“He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God...Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel, and delivered His servants that trusted in Him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God” (vs. 20-21, 24-25, 28).

King Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed with the determination of these three young men that God inspired him to promote them to power within the empire.

With the account of these three young men, you are now ready to face the pressures of going “against the current.” In actuality, the pressures you face now—no matter how difficult they may seem—are, by far, much smaller than the trial of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, whose physical lives were in jeopardy.

Use this understanding to fuel your dedication to stand up for God’s truths. Periodically review Daniel 3, to find the encouragement and drive to follow the example of these young men who gladly faced death in order to live and uphold God’s Way.

This knowledge—along with prayer—will help you toward having an easier time standing up for your beliefs during Christmas. And it will ensure that you can confidently and assuredly resist the “Christmas spirit”—the way God wants you to!