Happy meals and Christmas

After church got over yesterday I drove Josiah to get some fast food before heading home. Normally his choice of grease is chicken tenders from BK. On this occasion, though, he wanted a Happy Meal from McDonalds. "Dad, I want a happy meal so I can be happy." As the words rolled from his tongue I had to let them soak for a minute. Has this culture grabbed a hold of my four-year-old? I didn't scold him, laugh at him, or even refuse the precious toy that is usually the motivation for him even wanting a Happy Meal. But I did use it as a teaching moment. I told him that neither a toy, chicken nuggets, or fries would make him happy for very long. Only Jesus can truly make you happy. Did he fully comprehend the lesson? Did it radically change his perspective on life and the complexities that are found within it? No. He just wanted the toy. But it did remind me of a few things:

1.) Some of the best teaching moments in life are the ones you don't plan or prepare for

2.) In a season where temporary happiness is manufactured and distributed we need to remember that true joy is something we could never make, buy, give, earn, or deserve. It's given as a free gift, received by faith, and came in the form of a little baby in a manger.

We will listen to songs that sing of "the happiest time of the year." We will drink egg nog (okay, maybe not everyone). We will give and get gifts. We will ornament a tree. We will light a house. We will do many things of a festive nature. But will we remember that "although He existed in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, being made in the likeness of men"? (Philippians 2:6-7) 

And that's only the beginning of the story.

Happiness can't be found in a manger, though. That was only the beginning. A genuine glimpse at the manger requires that we also look at the cross. "Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:8)

And that's only the middle of the story.

"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel...For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4, emphasis mine)

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)

That's Salvation. That's happiness. That's joy. That's good stuff.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come

Let earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare Him room

And heaven and nature sing

And heaven and nature sing

And heaven and heaven and nature sing