I am a sucker for Christmas. I spent the weekend turning my apartment into a winter wonderland. I listened to Christmas music and marveled at the snow falling. It was a quintessential experience.

And every Christmas, I remind myself of the true meaning of the holiday by reading this passage:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
 Who, being in very nature God,
      did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
 but made himself nothing,
      taking the very nature of a servant,
      being made in human likeness.
 And being found in appearance as a man,
      he humbled himself
      and became obedient to death—
         even death on a cross!
(Philippians 2:5-8)

The world tells us that this holiday is about getting the best deals and baking cookies. Often times the church says that Christmas is simply about a baby born in a manger. The true meaning of Christmas is about the humility of our God who made himself a servant to those who did not deserve his service. He loved those who did not love in return, and willingly gave his life to be in relationship with those who betrayed him.

I am challenged by this reality this Christmas. I usually think of giving in terms of going to the mall and buying things¬—which requires little humility. What God desires of my life is to love and serve sacrificially.

“He has told you, O man, what is good: and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

Instead of spending so much time shopping for gifts, I need to spend serious time serving people, laying my life down for them. In this I will be obeying God’s command to have the same attitude, but I will also have a better understanding of the choice Jesus made to make himself nothing, but in so doing, giving me eternal life.