“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalms 27:14, ESV).

The secular world tells me the Christmas season has begun. I turned on my favorite radio station on Friday, and Christmas songs were playing. After all, Santa Claus had made his grand arrival at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

The world says Christmas is here. The church calendar says otherwise. I choose to follow God’s will, not the ways of the world.

Most Americans—even devout Christians—allow the materialistic mindset of commercialism to define Christmas for them. In the retail world, the Christmas season apparently begins shortly before Halloween, when the first Christmas decorations begin to creep onto the shelves of the stores. My first Black Friday email arrived on November 10. (Just for the record, I refuse to shop on Black Friday: It sounds too much like Black Plague and I hate getting caught in the middle of a riot over flat-screen TVs.) However, many Christians think “the Christmas season” begins on the day after Thanksgiving. (We are not even waiting that long anymore; since many stores begin their Black Friday sales one day early, Thanksgiving will soon become “Black Friday Eve.” Future generations will learn that the Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the Mayflower, seeking an open Wal-Mart.) Using this secular commercial calendar, the Christmas season ends on December 25, sometime around 10:00 PM. We may continue saying “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” until January 1, but that is only because we cannot wait to get drunk or watch a shiny ball drop.

I would like to challenge that thinking by urging my brothers and sisters in Christ to use the traditional church calendar as a guide. Instead of allowing mass-marketing to guide your life, allow the timeless truths of the Christian faith to shape your paths. By refusing to allow the secular worldview to drag us in its directions, we can take some time to learn God’s lessons for us.

The Christmas season did not begin yet. From a Christian standpoint, Black Friday is nothing (maybe it is the “highest unholy day” of commercialism). Advent began today. This season begins four Sundays before Christmas, and it is a time of waiting and preparation.

During Advent, we remember how the ancient Jews waited for centuries for their promised Messiah. We commemorate how Mary and Joseph prepared for the coming of Jesus during her miraculous pregnancy. However, we do not simply look back and remember these events as detached observers. We join them, as we too are in a season of waiting and preparation. While the ancients were waiting for the first coming of the Messiah, we await His second coming in glory. As we await the celebration of Jesus’ birth, we train ourselves to wait for His return.

This connection between the two comings of Christ can be seen in the song, “Joy to the World.” Read those lyrics carefully. This song is not about Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem; it is about His eternal glorious reign. It is a song about His second coming, but we so easily recognize its connection to His arrival 2000 years ago.

Americans are not very good at waiting. We are used to instant everything. We have microwave ovens, because conventional cooking takes too long. We go to fast-food restaurants, because we do not want to wait for (or prepare) our food; and then, we rush through the drive-through, because we are too impatient to wait online in the store. We demand instant entertainment, instant information, instant gratification.

However, although society demands everything instantly, God calls us to wait. Psalm 27 ends with an exhortation to “wait for the Lord.” The psalmist was being harassed by his enemies; his own family had turned their backs on him. He knew God was ready to bless him, but he knew he had to wait to see the full evidence of protection and restoration. God considers waiting important; He commands us many times in the Bible to wait on Him. Furthermore, patience is part of the fruit of the Spirit. A mature Christian willingly waits for God to act, and he also waits to see what God wants to do in his life.

Take the time to prepare your heart and mind for Christmas. Devote time to prayer, praise, worship, and fellowship. While the world tries to pull you into holiday sales at every store, devote your time and talents to help those who are less fortunate. As the world invites you to “holiday” parties, take some time to attend special services and outreach events at church (yours or other local congregations) where Jesus’ life will be the center of attention. While friends and family try to increase your weight by feeding your fruitcake, take some extra time to increase your love for God by developing more of the fruit of the Spirit.

May this Advent be a season of waiting and preparation for whatever good God seeks to do in your life.

By the way, Christmas season is coming: but that begins on December 25 and lasts 12 days.

This post copyright © 2016 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.