I wonder if the participants in the original Christmas story ever dreamed that the celebration of Christ's birth would become so hassled and hurried. The shepherds? The angels? The wise men? Mary and Joseph too?
As we approach the holiday season again, we are faced with yet another opportunity to pause in the midst of all the excitement, decorations, and commercialization, to consider again the origin of Christmas—the One whose birth we celebrate.
The simple secret is this: To experience a great year, just do what Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things [the things you and I worry about] shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). If you will seek Him first, He promises to meet all your needs.
In light of Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 2:24-25, how might the Lord call you to adjust your plans this season so that you can fully enjoy and share the blessings from the Lord with others?
As I sit and sulk a bit this holiday season, feeling discontent with what’s not going as planned or disappointed by what feels crazier and much more rushed than I’d hoped, I know what I need to do. I need to shift my gaze to praise.
It’s in the quiet where we learn to fight for faith. So, I shift my eyes from that twinkling tree to the Bible on my lap. And I read aloud from those treasured pages.
There are many who are in need of encouragement at this time of year. They don’t need a Christmas present; they need His Christmas presence. They need to be reminded of what this season is all about.
Did you know that when you woke up this morning, God was with you? Did you know that when you received that horrible news, God was with you? Did you know that when you reached that goal, God was with you?
At Christmas time, are you filled with joy and wonder and praise? Or has the devil, the original Grinch, the thief who comes only to steal and kill and destroy, stolen those things from you? If so, there is still time to get it back!
This Christmas I want to think and live as one adopted. One way to do this is to let every gift given to a loved one serve as a pointer to the gospel. And when we consider how excited we are for the new Wii or Xbox or Playstation with its temporal pleasures, let us remember the eternalweight of glory that awaits the heirs of the King.
The Bible says that a merry heart is like medicine – something that heals and restores well-being. Just as medicine can relieve physical pain and suffering, a joyful heart can relieve the burdens of our souls.
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