"Now may the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power
of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
Christmas is so exciting when you are a
kid. Santa Claus, the lights, the food, and, of course, the presents.
Sometimes, as we get older, we lose some
or all of that joy. This may just be one year or several strung together. We
have presents to buy, bills to pay and very little time to catch our breath. We
might get a brief respite when we have kids watching them enjoy the holiday as
we once did, but that fades as they get older and cynical.
For others, even still, there may be
darker things afoot. Depression, loss of a loved one, financial trouble,
medical issues and so forth. One church in Montgomery is even having a
"blue Christmas" service as there is such a strong need for help. And
as I work retail each year, I sadly see the worst in folks this time of year
when we should be at our best.
Why? What happened? To borrow the phrase,
we have simply forgotten "the reason for the season." We are a world
shrouded in darkness that seems to worsen every day.
But there is a light that no darkness can
overcome. The light of Jesus Christ. We celebrate this time of the year because
He came in to this world so that our sins would be forgiven. Luke 2 is my
favorite rendition of the birth of Jesus Christ. One of my favorite memories of
Christmas past was my father reading from the book of Luke at Christmas dinner.
After everything we had done that day, it was a reminder of what the day really
was about. I continue that tradition today and hope my stepdaughter does as
well one day.
Clear the mental and spiritual clutter.
Supply shortages? COVID concerns? Government strife? All distractions. Keep
your eyes on the throne and on the real reason for Christmas, the birth of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Hallelujah! He is born!
No comments:
Post a Comment