It’s that time of year! With all the various celebrations and gatherings with loved ones, I start thinking about baking Christmas treats. Making (and eating) gingerbread man cookies has become a tradition in my home. There’s just something about a freshly baked gingerbread cookie with a hot cup of tea that screams Christmas to me! But this little treat also reminds me of a Bible verse. Paul wrote, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of God. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT).

 

I know what you’re thinking. What in the world do gingerbread men have to do with the Bible? Well listen and I’ll tell you the story of how gingerbread men became synonymous with Christmas. As the legend goes, Queen Elizabeth had these delicious cookies made for foreign diplomats who visited the palace at Christmas time. These specially designed cookies were a symbol of peace and love. Each cookie was carefully made into the likeness of the queen’s guests. Great care went into every detail so that the resemblance was authentic. Only the most skilled artisans could accomplish such a task; bakers with the ability to capture the most intricate details of a person’s features.

 

Now those gingerbread men created in the likeness of the queen’s guests, reminds me that we were created in the likeness of Christ. It is by His Spirit that we are made more and more like Him. Only the most skilled artisan can accomplish such a task in us—one with the ability to capture the most intricate details of Christ’s character. And by God’s grace this artisan, the Holy Spirit, is living in us.

 

Christmas is a time when we are tempted to defer to our flesh. It’s so easy to focus on the hustle and bustle of this busy season. But in order for our resemblance to Christ to be authentic, we need to be moldable like gingerbread dough, willing to bend and even break, if need be. As we surrender our will to Christ, we allow our character to be changed more into His likeness. Only then can we reflect the image of the true Prince of Peace and author of love. After all, Jesus is the reason for the season.