We have all read the story or watched the movie about the Grinch. The story about the funny looking green guy who gets so annoyed at the people from Who-ville - annoyed at their joy, laughter and Christmas spirit that he decides that he’s going to take all of the fun right out of their Who-ville spirit and steal their Christmas. He thought that if he stole their presents, their trees, their decorations and food that all of the Who’s in Who-ville would have nothing left to celebrate. They would have no joy. No Christmas spirit. But the Grinch didn’t understand the Christmas spirit at all.

It isn’t about getting presents. It isn’t about the tinsel, the lights or even the tree. It isn’t about singing carols, going on sleigh rides or drinking hot chocolate on a cold night. Christmas spirit is not what we DO, or what we SAY or even what we BRING. Christmas spirit is what we KNOW!

“And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at His birth!” Luke 1:14

We may think that there aren’t any real Grinches in this world, but we would be wrong. We all have to contend with a Grinch that not only attempts to steal our Christmas spirit but every day, 365 days a year, 12 months a year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, there is a Grinch who seeks to steal, kill and destroy! (John 10:10)

God has bless us with life and righteousness, joy and hope. God has also given each of us special talents and gifts. The enemy hates that. It really, really annoys him to see us use our gifts for Gods glory. So what does he do? He begins to steal and destroy. He wants to take away all that God has given us.

He knows that taking our cars, our homes and our clothes will not be as devastating as losing our kids, our spouses, our hope, our faith and yes even our spirit. He tries every trick he knows to get us to lose our joy, lose our smile, lose our faith, lose our trust in people and in God.

But His Word tells us that when we put our hope and trust in God, there is nothing that can shake us. We may lose our material things, but no-one, and I mean NO-ONE, not even the enemy, can rob us of what lives in our heart and our soul. Nobody can steal Christmas because Christmas is Jesus - His presence.