Wednesday, December 3, 2014

3 Things We Need To Remember This Christmas


"'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel'- which means, 'God with us.'"- Matthew 1: 23

This season tends to lead people into stress, depression, frustration, and many other emotions. The message of Christmas disappears amongst the different activities we get involved in, even if they are events that are reflecting the story of Christ.

So, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on 3 important ideas we need to hold on to this Christmas season:

1)      A great value and discipline to embrace is simplicity. The very person we are celebrating lived simply. He encouraged His followers to walk in simplicity. He sent them out with practically nothing to spread His message. He was born in the luxury of a cow stall. He entered into the world humbly and left the same way. Let us follow His example as we prepare for the holiday.

2)      JOY is a buzzword, especially around Christmas. However, it seems that far too often we forget to live in it. We sing “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!” but we walk with a frown and give people the idea that we don’t want to be here. We should be walking with our heads held high and a smile glowing to reveal the joy of our Savior being brought into this world. The Lord wanted to be here and share His love and He expects His followers to feel the same. Sharing His message of great joy and peace is a message that endures, not just through song, but through the people who claim to be disciples of the very person we celebrate.

3)      Finally, may we reflect on peace during this time of year. There is so much chaos and hate ruining the message of Christ. May His people rise to the top and be the messengers of peace to a world crying out for a savior. A world waiting for something to change and missing the fact that the very One who can bring change has come! He has given His followers His authority to share a message of hope, love, grace, mercy, and peace. May we live in true love with each other and be a reflection of His peace and reconciliation to a broken world.

God’s grace brings us joy. God’s love brings us peace. God’s message is simple. Love Him and love each other is the true message of Christmas. May we carry the good news of Christmas in such a way that honors the Christ child’s birth.
Peace and Blessings this Christmas season!

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