DO ORIGINS REALLY MATTER?

Some agree that such holidays as Christmas have pagan origins but still feel that it is not wrong to celebrate them. After all, most people are not thinking about false worship when they observe holidays.  These occasions also give families opportunities to draw close together.  Is this how you feel?  If so, likely  it is love of family, not love of false religion, that makes a standing for true worship seem difficult.  (note: if you love your family that much, you do not need an excuse or a holiday to get together, think about it.) Be assured that Jehovah, the one who originated the family, wants you to have a good relationship with your relatives.  (Ephesians 3:14, 15) But you can strengthen such bonds in ways that God approves.  Regarding the matter that should be our chief concern, the apostle Paul wrote:  "Keep on making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord." -Ephesians 5:10.

Maybe you feel that the origins of the holiday have little to do with how they are celebrated today. Do origins really matter?  Yes!  To illustrate:  Suppose you saw a piece of candy lying in the gutter. Would you pick up that candy and eat it?  Of course not!  That candy is unclean.  Like that candy, holidays may seem sweet, but they have been picked up from unclean places.  To take a stand for true worship, we need to have a viewpoint like that of the prophet Isaiah, who told true worshipers:  "Touch nothing unclean." -Isaiah 52:11. 

Next time: DISCERNMENT IN DEALING WITH OTHERS

From the Book: What Does the Bible Really Teach? 2005 and 2006