A Momentous Event

Yesterday, I went gift shopping after dropping off a few packages at the post office.  It seemed as if everyone in this town was out shopping or mailing something!  I heard on the radio at one of my stops a local D.J. saying that this was what Christmas was all about--sparkly packages, smiles from children, spending time with family, and lots of good food.  I thought about that a lot on the way home.

It seems like a good thought.  I'd love for Christmas to be like a Norman Rockwell painting!  Still, I couldn't help thinking that it was a rather bleak and cold idea for many people to hold onto at this chilly time of year. What about those who couldn't afford gifts or gift wrapping? What about those who can't have children? What about those who have terribly dysfunctional families (or have lost loved ones this year)? What if they have developed allergies to the classic Christmas dishes?  I know a few people in every group, and I know their Christmas is still going to be good. Why?

Christmas is an event that God brought about (not a calendar day or a shopping mall), and it changed the world forever (and I don't mean that it changed the world economy).  Wherever you are, and whatever your life looks like today, you can take part in Christmas. You can start today!

Christmas brought peace...

A Snow Angel

When the angels came to tell the shepherds about Jesus' birth, they announced it by saying, " Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests," (Luke 2:12 NIV).  I see people quoting them every year, but their eyes glaze over as the words leave their mouths. Peace?  How can that be?  I've heard every year a few songs that ask Santa (or God) for world peace, but it's obvious that the world still doesn't understand it.

The peace the angels predicted is peace in the heart--a peace that means the end of hostilities between man and God.  That peace spills over into our interactions with our fellow man, but it isn't always returned to us. Not everyone really wants peace with God, and they also don't care to have peace with us. So, when you think about what the angels said, remember to pray. Pray for peace between you and God (which comes with salvation and repentance), and between you and your fellow man (which comes from self-control and sacrificial obedience to God's plan).  Also, pray for peace in everyone else's hearts by praying for their salvation, and for their growth in their relationship with God, which will lead them to be at peace with others.

Christmas brought rest...

With all of the work that has to be done every holiday, it seems like I hear a lot of complaints about people not getting to rest at Christmastime. Even so, the Bible says, "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his," (Hebrews 4:9-10 NIV).  That "Sabbath rest" foreshadowed in the Hebrew ceremony of the Sabbath is the rest we find in Christ.

It means, more than anything, that we are not any longer slaves to sin, always driven to try to work off our sin with good works, always forced to seek approval from our masters and value from our work.  Now, good works and the approval and value of others has some worth, but God's approval is all that we require, and God gives the ultimate value to our work.  God has opened the doors to free us, should we choose to accept the gift He has offered.

By the way, there is no reason why we can't, as free Christians, stop and take a minute, or even a whole day, to enjoy the life God has given us. If life seems too complicated for that this month, maybe you should consider finding a way to simplify your life, or work in a few fun things along the way. If nothing else, slow down to look at the stars, or the snow, or the Christmas lights!

Christmas brought hope...

If you are in the middle of something that you can't escape, such as a grief period or an illness, it is good to know that Christmas in the end was an event that brought hope to the world. We hear bad news every day. The day of Jesus' birth was no different, right up until the time of Mary's labor, when she got the bad news that she was going to stay in the stable that night!  The world didn't know it then, but Jesus brought a way out of the worst news, and the worst possible news of all is death.

No matter what the circumstance is, bad news is no longer the last word on your life, if you have Jesus in your heart.  As it is written,

On this mountain He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove His people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 25:7-8 NIV)

 Choose hope, and look forward expectantly for your great reward in heaven.  Celebrate what this Christmas means, and remember, Jesus is coming back soon!

Be Thankful for the Wait

I've been thinking a lot this week about how it seems that most of life is a period of waiting between the start and the finish of something, whether it's the time between graduation and getting a job, or between the work and the paycheck, or between engagement and marriage, or even between diagnosis and the cure.  It seems like we're always waiting for those God-ordained endings to the waiting period, and many times, we feel they can't come soon enough...but aren't the wait times also ordained by God?

Don't get me wrong; I believe that God is good, kind, and abundantly generous, but sometimes He teaches us things by delaying gratification, so to speak.  I personally know that I wouldn't be the person that I am now if God had not worked on me over a period of years.  Sometimes learning and growth doesn't happen without pressure.

This reminds me of a passage in first Peter, explaining why trials (and that can include long waits) are a good thing, that we should be thankful for--not take for granted!  I'll leave you with that passage, since I'm short on time this evening. I hope it is something you need this week!

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1Peter 1: 6-9 NIV)

Staying Grateful in the Consumerism Season

I recently read one of those "Snark Jokes" that circulate on Facebook and Pinterest, which read, "Only in America do people knock each other down to get the latest gadget just one day after giving thanks for what they already own." It makes you think, doesn't it?  In contrast, the Bible says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain," (1Timothy 6: 6 NIV). 

I was praying this weekend and felt God reminding me to stay grateful this season.  It's so easy to fall victim to "want-itis" and to feel bad about budget constraints these days.  Even if we've learned to be satisfied with less this year, the commercials, sales circulars, automated emails, and web ads (especially this weekend) can drive that peace far from us. It's important that we don't lose sight of the important things in the middle of "Consumerism Season."

God's History of Faithfulness

The Bible instructs us, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you,'" (Hebrews 13: 5 NIV). We don't have to worry about where things are coming from, because God is going to take care of us--and that is a much better guarantee than a large bank account or a great storehouse of gold or even food.

If we've known God for awhile, we have seen this pattern over and over again in our lives.  In those moments when we feel as if our dreams of the perfect Christmas are far from happening (or beyond our means) it is important to stop and remember how God has been faithful through the years, daily providing for us and sustaining us, and not just during the holidays.

See God's Provision

It's also a good exercise to look for God's provision in our lives today.  What do you already have that is clearly a blessing from God?  I'm not just talking about the latest iPhone, and I might not even be talking about friends and family members.  There are tons of little things God blesses us with every day, even right now, from a nice view to indoor heating, plus, He provides our daily needs, which Jesus called "our daily bread."

I don't mean to be trite, but before we let retailers or our peers make us feel bad for not owning the "latest thing" we should count our blessings. After all, the latest thing is always going away, but God's provision in the present is constant.  The Bible says, " I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread," (Psalm 37: 25 NIV).

Give Thanks in the Midst of Current Needs

The last thing we ought to do to stay grateful this season is also the hardest: praise God, even in the face of current needs.  The Bible reminds us again and again that God is faithful, but when we are facing dire needs, such as serious financial struggles, it can be difficult to keep things in their proper perspective.  That is where praise helps us.

I heard a sermon this weekend that touched upon this. The pastor spoke about the "garment of praise" in Isaiah 61: 3, contrasting the symbolism of fresh garments with the ancient Hebrew custom of tearing the outer garment at the neck to express extreme anguish or grief. The pastor noted that praising God brings healing in our spirit, symbolically replacing the "torn garment" of despair. Praise heals us from feelings of despair and grief at our current circumstances by focusing our eyes beyond that, on the God who is powerful enough to overcome obstacles, who is infinitely trustworthy, and who has brought us hope through His Son, Jesus Christ.

God was there before the current circumstances (like holiday stress) arose, and He will still be there when they are gone.  He intends to carry us through it all, as long as we stand with Him.  Isn't that an awesome thought?