There are many components to a perfect Christmas celebration. You have to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right weather, people, food, music, and of course the perfect gift. Often times however, the most important component of all goes missing in most Christmas celebrations. The problem is that when this component goes missing, it distorts and complicates everything. Therefore, situations and relationships that should be resolved go unresolved. One would expect to find this component in most Christian homes but it often times is absent in the lives of believers as it is in the rest of the world.

The central part of the Christmas story is the fact that God sent his son into the world to deliver this absent component to everyone. But when you analyze this component it appears to be weak even foolish and to incorporate it into our situations would seem to be a grave mistake. Yet, this component is so powerful that it has the potential to heal broken hearts, communities, cities, nations, and even the world.

When Jesus dwelt among us, this component poured out so abundantly that it perturbed those who felt they did not need it. It perturbed them so much that they crucified him. Many others however ran to him because this missing component was their only hope. But sadly, this component will go missing in most Christmas celebrations this holiday season.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14 NIV

Grace is the central and most important component of Christianity. Yet, often times it is completely absent from our Christian walk. Grace is what we desire when our guilt is exposed but it is what we least want to extend when someone else’s guilt is exposed, especially when they’re guilty of harming or injuring “me”. Grace means to freely offer others what they least deserve. For some this may sound foolishness but for those of us how have been the recipients of God’s grace we know how liberating and transformational grace is. So go ahead and make it a perfect Christmas celebration, but don’t forget the most important component, grace.