For many people, Christmas is a time of joy and celebration; however, for some people, Christmas is a time of stress, frustration, anxiety, sadness, or depression. If you have either lost the Christmas joy or have never had Christmas joy, this message is for you.
I want to give you The Seven C’s to overcoming the grinch and obtaining Christmas joy:
- Comparison
- Confinement
- Conviction
- Christ
- Contentment
- Contribution
- Camaraderie
In “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” the Grinch is depicted as a grouchy creature, secluded in a cave. The Grinch lives on a cliff overlooking the cheerful, optimistic community of Whoville. The Grinch hates Christmas and the festivities celebrated during the season; he is irritated by the happiness of others and derives pleasure from spoiling other people’s enjoyment. Maybe you are a grinch. Perhaps someone else in your life is a grinch. Either way, joy can be obtained and retained. From the story of the grinch, there are seven (7) biblical principles we can learn and apply to our lives:
(1) Comparison
The first thing mentioned in the story of the Grinch is that every Who liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch did not. The Grinch stood on a cliff, looking down on the Whos; his focus was on who they were, what they did, and what they had. Comparison creates the “I can’t” moments. The Grinch compared himself with every Who in Whoville – he compared himself with every Who’s smile, joy, laughter, and celebration. The comparison led him to realize that he did not possess what they had. And because he did not have what they had, he allowed himself to become miserable. Comparison produces envy and envy produces hatred. That hatred will either be directed toward the person being compared or the very person doing the comparison. The Grinch had pride; therefore, his hatred was directed toward every Who in Whoville. (Because the problem couldn’t possibly reside within himself, right?) …Are you comparing your life by others’ blessings? Comparing yourself to others will negatively affect how you view yourself; consequently, how you view yourself will determine your attitude and then your actions. GOD created you to be unique. Embrace your own blessings and stop concerning yourself with what others have.
“Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.”
(Galatians 6:4-5) -NLT
“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”
(Proverbs 14:30) -NIV
“Do you think I care about the approval of men or about the approval of God? Do you think I am on a mission to please people? If I am still spinning my wheels trying to please men, then there is no way I can be a servant of the Anointed One, the Liberating King.”
(Galatians 1:10) -Voice
(2) Confinement
The Grinch lived in a cave by himself. He isolated himself. He had confined himself to his loneliness. Is it any wonder why others’ joy irritated him so much? The joy of others only revealed and amplified his own misery. The sound of their laughter seemed to be directed toward his insecurities. The others’ joy called attention to the very thing he was lacking. When you isolate yourself, you are an easy target for Satan. Evil will invade your isolated and unguarded mind and infiltrate your thoughts. Remember: the lion seeks to attack the one who gets separated from the herd.
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
(1Peter 5:8) -ESV
“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”
(Proverbs 18:1) -ESV
“In the same way that iron sharpens iron, a person sharpens the character of his friend.”
(Proverbs 27:17) -Voice
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”
(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) -NLT
(3) Conviction
Examine the definition of the word, “grinch.”
Grinch: an unpleasant person who spoils other people’s fun or enjoyment or dampens the pleasure of others.
“I was brushing my teeth on the morning of the 26th of last December when I noticed a very Grinch-ish countenance in the mirror. It was Seuss! So I wrote about my sour friend, the Grinch, to see if I could rediscover something about Christmas that obviously I’d lost.”
(~Theodore “Dr. Seuss” Geisel; December 1957 edition of Redbook)
Are you placing your focus on the negative aspects surrounding this Christmas season? Are you placing the focus on yourself and your problems? Is it possible that you need to rediscover something about Christmas you have obviously lost (or never found)? We are all familiar with the Grinch who stole Christmas, but we often neglect to see ourselves as the Grinch. Are you being a grinch without realizing it? The Grinch originated from a moment when Dr. Seuss confronted himself with the truth he saw in the mirror. Are you willing to confront yourself with the truth? We often discover truth and enlightenment when we face and conquer our own demons. Are you ready to admit your shortcomings? If you have unrighteousness within you, are you ready to repent? Allow the Holy Spirit within you and He will bring Truth; with Truth comes conviction and that is why Truth sets people free (see John 8:32).
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
(Proverbs 1:7) -ESV
“My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.”
(Proverbs 3:11-12) -NLT
“If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it—how shortsighted to refuse correction!”
(Proverbs 12:1) -MSG
(4) Christ
Sincere repentance and acceptance of Christ as our Lord and Savior is prerequisite for salvation. After we confront our own demons, we need to make Jesus the focus. Jesus is the center, the core. We don’t have CHRISTmas without Christ. Jesus came to be the sacrifice who would save us from ourselves. We simply couldn’t live up to the perfect standard of holiness that is required for us to dwell with the perfect and holy GOD, but Jesus came to be the Bridge that would forever reunite us with GOD. This season is for our Savior. We celebrate the fact that GOD loves us so much that GOD became human in order to willingly sacrifice Himself for us (John 10:17-18) — He died so that we may live! We celebrate that Jesus was born into this world from a virgin in order to be the sinless sacrifice who would save us from ourselves. Because we could not reach GOD by our works, GOD came to us out of His grace and mercy.
“As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ ”
(Matthew 1:20-21) -NLT
(5) Contentment
Once Jesus is the focus, we will no longer have the focus on others or ourselves. If we truly realize how bad many people in this world have it in life, it should be easy to be content in any circumstance we find ourselves. This is the opposite side of comparison or envy. This is how you battle those thoughts of comparing yourself with others. The moment you start to compare yourself with others to see how they might have it better than you, you also have an opportunity to see how you have it better than others. There are, in fact, prisoners in the United States who live in greater comfort than those who are considered to be free in third world countries, who are skin and bone, starving to death. The truth is that you are blessed and your life could always be worse than it is right now. The truth is that you are exactly where you need to be right now for GOD to take you to where He wants you to go so that He may bless you. Our focus is not to be on the world and its ways. In fact, this world is going to come to an abrupt end and we will live in eternity on a new earth under new heavens (Matthew 24:36-44; Revelation 21). Neither the Christmas season nor Christmas Day itself is about receiving gifts or possessing anything of monetary value – it is about celebrating salvation through our Savior! To find contentment, you need only to change your perspective. To find contentment, you need only to focus on Christ.
“Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship. Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.”
(Romans 12: 1-2) -Voice
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
(Philippians 4:8-9) -NLT
“For I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
(Philippians 4:11-13) -NLT
(6) Contribution
The Grinch stole all of the Who’s material possessions – everything of monetary value! And as the Grinch stood on the cliff, waiting to hear mourning and crying from Whoville, he heard joyful singing instead. After hours of pondering and self-examination, the Grinch finally realized that material items don’t bring joy; in fact, he discovered that the joy had already been within them. That’s when the Grinch decided to return to them all of their gifts. Like Scripture tells us, it is better to give than to receive. The Grinch discovered joy in the act of giving. Why? Because to love others is to put them before yourself. What can you give? Your time? Love? Financial support? Maybe you’re good at cooking meals and can feed someone? Maybe you’re a gifted musician and you can play music for someone? Maybe you’re an excellent artist and you can draw a picture for someone? Perhaps you can simply be there for someone and provide a listening ear. There is always something you can do; there is always a way to give.
“I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes. You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
(Acts 20:33-35) -NLT
“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled head, doesn’t force itself on others, isn’t always ‘me first,’ doesn’t fly off the handle, doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, doesn’t revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end. Love never dies.”
(1Corinthians 13: 4-8) –MSG
(7) Camaraderie
After giving the [stolen] gifts back to everyone in Whoville, the Grinch joined the Whos for a feast. Understand this: GOD did not design us to do life alone.
I admit that I chose the word, “camaraderie” only because it started with the letter “c” and allowed alliteration. But the actual word I should use is “fellowship.” Our English word, “fellowship” is the translation of the Greek word, “koinonia.” This Greek word is derived from the root, “koinos,” which was a prefix in ancient Greek. If you were to add this prefix to words meaning “living,” “owning a purse,” “a dispute,” and “mother,” you would get words meaning “living in community together,” “owning a purse in common,” “a public dispute,” and “having a mother in common.” So, we see that the root of the word, “fellowship,” means “to hold something in common.” The Greek word, “koinonia,” was used to describe corporations, labor guilds, partners in a law firm, and the most intimate of marriage relationships. From the usage of the word, we can conclude that fellowship is a word denoting a relationship that is dependent on more than one individual. It is an interdependent relationship. Koinonia is used nineteen times in the New Testament and in addition to being translated as “fellowship” it is also translated by the words, “contribution,” “sharing,” and “participation.” A close study of the usage of this word shows that action is always included in its meaning. Fellowship, you see, is not just being together, it is doing together! Fellowship is a relationship of inner unity among believers that expresses itself in outer co-participation with Christ and one another in accomplishing GOD’s will on Earth.
By now, you should realize that you are already blessed. So, who can you bless today? Blessing others will bring you joy. Do you want to experience true Christmas joy? Then bless others. Remember what Christ told us:
“Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
(Matthew 22:37-40) -NLT
“Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
(Matthew 9:13) -ESV
“But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously.”
(Micah 6:8) -MSG
I challenge you to go bless others this Christmas and create the joy you seek to attain for yourself. Spread Christmas cheer and do it openly and loudly for all the hear. And if we love with a lasting impression, perhaps those who do not believe will catch a glimpse of Christ that will remain with them until that seed grows into understanding. Go. Create joy. Bless others and praise GOD as you go.
[ To read why I am a Christian, read my other article, “Why I Am A Christian” ]
Quest For Truth 