Years ago, the term “All I Want” became the opening catch phrase for people that wanted “two front teeth,” “you,” and a host of other things in response to the question of “What do you want for Christmas?” I must admit, there have been times when I was asked the question that I gave a lot of responses that showed just how much Christmas had become about me, and not about God.
AtkinsAs a child, it was the G.I. Joe action figure (not doll) with the kung fu grip, machine gun, backpack, and a slew of other accessories offered by Hasbro. As I got older, it became requests for parachute pants, Members Only jackets, and some “fresh” new Nikes. Still, as I “matured” it became a new suit and tie, maybe a new pair of cowboy boots, and – if you really wanted to get me something I wanted that year – a new, or slightly used, Harley Davidson Fat Boy.
Needless to say, there were some requests that I wanted for Christmas that were received – and there were others, like the Harley Davidson Fat Boy, that I am still waiting for. There are some things we just have to be patient for, I guess. So what is the point to me telling everyone about all the things that I used to want, and still do want, for Christmas? I am so glad you asked.
Christmas was never meant to be about what we wanted; it was meant to be about that which we needed. When I was a kid, my dad would ask me what I needed for Christmas that year. I would make out a list and say, “These are all the things I want,” only to have him respond with “You don’t need those things, son, you want those things.” As a child, I really did not understand the difference between a want and a need, and the world does not either.
The world did not want a Messiah; it wanted another manager filled with animals from paying customers inside the “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” inn that night. The world did not want to hear the cries of a newborn baby keeping them awake; it wanted another “Silent Night” so that they could rest up for another day of sin and separation from God. The world today does not want to have “Christ in Christmas,” and it does not want to hear that Jesus is the “reason for the season.” To be honest, the world did not want a Savior; it needed a Savior – and it still needs a Savior today.
Christmas reminds us that God gave us that which we needed instead of that which we wanted. The world does not want us to be light in the midst of darkness, but it needs us to be.
The world does not want us to tell them that Jesus really is the reason for the season, and that they need Christ to have Christmas, but it needs us to tell them. It will not happen with banners, floats and programs. It will happen when we can say “All I Want” for Christmas is for the lost to be found and for the blind to see.
– Atkins is pastor of Powdersville First Baptist Church and president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.