The prophecy of Micah in the Old Testament foretells the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ in these words: “But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting”1.
In Hebrew, Bethlehem means “house of bread”, and into this house of bread the Son of God was born in a stable and was laid in a manger—coming from heaven to earth in mortality to establish the true kingdom of God.
The true spirit of Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ—in the house of bread—and the joy of the spirit of giving, loving and caring for one another. The real spirit of Christmas is about giving of ourselves. We should seek to follow our perfect leader, Jesus Christ, who at the end, gave His life, enabling us to qualify for the greatest gift of God, which is eternal life.
Let us consider how we might celebrate Christmas—His birth—in the following two ways:
1. Seek the Christmas Spirit
The late Howard W. Hunter, fourteenth President of the Church, said, “If you desire to find the true spirit of Christmas and partake of the sweetness of it, let me make this suggestion to you. During the hurry of the festive occasion of this Christmas season, find time to turn your heart to God. Perhaps in the quiet hours, and in a quiet place, and on your knees—alone or with loved ones—give thanks for the good things that have come to you, and ask that His Spirit might dwell in you as you earnestly strive to serve Him and keep His commandments. He will take you by the hand and His promises will be kept”2.
I experienced this true principle with my wife and two children. On Christmas morning in 2016, while I was serving as a stake president in Lubumbashi, the four of us knelt and begged Heavenly Father to bless us with a spirit of peace, simplicity, love, and generosity. We followed President Hunter’s example and shared with our friends, brothers, sisters and our parents all that we had—and what we felt by the end of that Christmas Day was wonderful. Yes, we did experience joy and peace on that special Christmas day, and ever since, that spirit has always led my family.
As we sincerely seek the true spirit of simplicity, peace, love, and generosity during the Christmas season, the Lord grants it to us for the benefit of His children. This spirit should not end with Christmas Day, but rather continue until it becomes our daily lifestyle. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then a member of the First Presidency, said, “Christmas is the rarest of the seasons—when we see others with new eyes, when we open our hearts a little more to the beauty around us and reach out to others with a little more kindness and compassion. …
“But we all know that too often the spirit of Christmas become overshadowed and even lost in the frantic pace and pressure of shopping, bills, and packed schedules. …
“I invite each of us to find, this Christmas season, a moment in the quiet of our souls to recognize and offer heartfelt gratitude to the ‘Generous One’”3.
2. Set Time Aside for the Savior to Serve Him.
It’s Christmas time again and a new year dawns. Have we decided to set time aside for the Savior and to make room for Him in our hearts? We believe it is time to review our efforts and renew them. In our day-to-day life, no matter our struggle or success, it is essential that we make a conscious and determined effort to bring Christ into our hearts, into our lives, and into our homes. If we walk in His footsteps and follow His perfect example today, we will have opportunities to do good to others.
In the scriptures, we read, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him”4.
At this time of year, some of our brothers and sisters definitely need our love and support. Ministering and fulfilling our responsibility today will suffice. The Savior calls His disciples to work with Him in His ministry, giving them the opportunity to serve others and to become like Him. Mosiah 23:18 reads, “Therefore they did watch over their people, and did nourish them with things pertaining to righteousness.”
We can follow what is said in the third verse of the hymn “Ring Out, Wild Bells”:
Ring in the valiant men and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand.
Ring out the darkness of the land;
Ring in the Christ that is to be. (Hymns, 215)
Christmas is the moment we need to examine ourselves so we can renew our commitment to following the Savior’s example and converting into new men. It is a day when we recall His coming into the world to redeem us. It is worth renewing our lifestyle. To achieve this, we need to be closer to the Savior and learn to depend on God, on His love, goodness and generosity; and we ought to love everyone as well.
Let’s not solely visit our brothers and sisters but also set a place to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and to make this time more meaningful. With enthusiasm and love towards everyone, we must also strengthen the bonds with our family members, with our friends and with everyone. We must also forge bonds of affection between ourselves and God, and with others. If we depend on God, we can have a better society that is generous, responsible, and which teaches us to receive and to give. Comfort the one who weeps and who is weary; go and spread acts of kindness on your way. Oh, make the world brighter today!
When the magi received the message of the birth of Jesus Christ, they prepared and brought gifts; they followed a bright new star in the sky to find Him. As we celebrate Christmas today, we need to seek this shining star which leads to the Lord. Then our soul shall be illuminated and shall reflect that we have received the Savior in our life by remaining faithful to Him until the end.
Pungwe S. Kongolo was called as an Area Seventy in April 2018. He is married to Séraphine Mugo Ngwezya. They are the parents of two children. Elder and Sister Kongolo reside in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo.
