In 1966 Elvis Presley recorded a song entitled, “If Every Day Was Like Christmas.”  The grammatical errors in the title notwithstanding, it was a modest success, reaching #2 on the Billboard list for Christmas songs that year.  This beautiful and moving song conveys the wish that the spirit of Christmas could be present all the year round.  It plays on the imagery of the season and the goodwill and love that is generally present during this time of year.  The conclusion of the song says, “If every day could be just like Christmas, what a wonderful world this would be!”  Most people, whether they are Elvis fans or not, would agree that the spirit of this time of year is a wonderful thing to behold.

Interestingly, for many of us the most endearing aspect of this season is not the receiving of gifts.  We actually appreciate the kindness, and generosity, and genuine love that pervade this season.  Even in the crush of Christmas shopping and preparing for family gatherings, people tend to try a little more to be patient and courteous to one another.  We are happy to wish perfect strangers a “Merry Christmas” as we pass them on the street or in the mall.  Ill-tempered and ill-mannered and evil people are still around, and still make their impact on society, but most of us try to be a little bit nicer at this time of year.

Another aspect of this season that is pleasant for many of us is that more people pay attention to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ than at any other time of the year.  They do so in overt ways, such as nativity scenes, bumper stickers proclaiming that He’s the reason for the season, and in special religious assemblies.  They also do so in more subtle ways by showing a more Christ-like spirit in their dealings with one another.  For believers it is always pleasing to see the Lord being honored, even if only briefly and, perhaps only superficially.

However, if we were to frame this wish in a truly biblical and solely spiritual context, what would it mean if every day were like Christmas?  First and perhaps foremost of all, if every day were like Christmas the whole world would focus its attention on our Savior and Lord, and would offer Him the homage that He deserves.  Every day we would proclaim that Jesus is the reason for what we are doing.  Every knee would truly bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11).

If every day were like Christmas, everyone would treat each other with kindness, courtesy, and generosity.  We would be gracious and forgiving to one another, and would not do anything to anyone that we would not want done to ourselves.  We would truly live the golden rule every day (Mt. 7:12).

If every day were like Christmas, we would not forsake the assembly on the Lord’s Day (Heb. 10:23-25).  We would never miss an opportunity to acknowledge the great gift that God gave in sending His Son to be the sacrifice for our sins.  We would make a special effort every Lord’s Day to be in the worship assembly.

If every day were like Christmas, we would never cease to offer songs of praise to God the Father for the wonderful blessings we have in Christ (Heb. 13:15).  We would never cease to offer prayers to God (1 Th. 5:17).  And, we would be generous in giving of our means for the work of the church (2 Cor. 8:3-5).

In short, if every day were like Christmas, all of us would be fully engaged in putting God first in our lives, and in living in obedience to His will.  No one would hesitate to publicly express his or her devotion to God.  All people would shamelessly proclaim and live their love for the Lord.  If I could have one wish this Christmas season, this would be my wish, and my prayer.