Jesus is the reason for the season! This phrase is commonly used during the holiday season. It appears on catchy artwork and banners everywhere.  Although, I wholeheartedly agree that He most certainly is the reason for the Christmas season, I rarely use this phrase.  Why, might you ask? Let’s just think about what this statement subconsciously implies. Perhaps, we should stop and reverse it in our minds. The phrase leads us to believe that this is the only time to think about Jesus and His birth. So, in a reverse sort of way, it implies that thinking about Jesus is seasonal. It equates celebrating Deity becoming Humanity (1 Timothy 3:16) on an equal level with other holidays such as Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, and an annual Birthday.  It suggests that we pause for a Holiday or even over Christmas vacation and make it a priority to reflect on the birth of our Saviour. I suppose the reason I shy away from this phrase is mainly because it becomes all too easy to return to business as usual once the tree is taken down and the Christmas decorations are put away. Jesus being the reason for the season is quickly forgotten. Our attention moves on to candy hearts and celebrating a new love the next week as we see the shops filled with Valentine Day décor.  Now, I do appreciate that we have a season to think about Christ. I hope that we always will continue to reflect on the miracle that occurred in the manger over 2000 years ago. However, now we begin to understand that it’s not the phrase that I find fault with, but it’s the concept that living for God is seasonal that I resist.  I am grateful that each Christmas we remember Christ and reflect on His Birth. I also love that we as a people become more aware of others, kinder, and more giving for a season. However, I must admonish us as followers of Christ, that loving Jesus is not a seasonal concept nor is it a brief short-term relationship. Instead, I would claim that placing Christ as first in our life is a daily process. The writer Timothy refers to being instant in season and out of season (Timothy 4:2) He suggests to Christians that we ought to always be spiritually in tune. Likewise, Paul (1 Thes 5:17) tells us to pray without ceasing. He does not mean to pray 24/7 but rather that prayer is a continual part of our lifestyle, and we are to be Spirit minded continually. Thinking about Christ should go way beyond a seasonal period. Let us remember that seasons come and go all to shortly. No sooner than the leaves fall, the winter snow begins to approach and before we know it, we have passed through another year. This year, let us not forget about our relationship with God once the Christmas lights come down and the presents get put away. Instead, He desires that our relationship with him would grow deeper with each passing day. This holiday season, I encourage you to live everyday remembering the hope that was born in the manager so long ago. The night Christ came to the world brought hope for all eternity. This miracle still changes lives everyday no matter what season we are in.