Merry Christmas to you and your household. Without mincing words, Christmas is about the entrance of Jesus into the world. It is not about Santa Claus or Father Christmas as we used to call him when I was growing up, it is about Jesus. Everything that happens at Christmas is to remind us that God cares for every human being on the face of the earth today and that includes you. Here are some things that I want you to consider as you celebrate this Christmas…
It is about God’s commitment to the human race: God is so committed to the human race that He found a way to get us back to Him. As you celebrate this Christmas, I want you to remember that God is committed to you for life. No matter what is happening in your life right now, don’t ever lose sight of the fact that God is with you and for you. He has come to dwell with us permanently. As you step into the New Year, remember that God is committed to you. He said that He will never leave or forsake you. He will perform His promises to you.
“No matter what is happening in your life right now, don’t ever lose sight of the fact that God is with you and for you.”
It is about God’s love: The Bible reminded us that God so loved the world… (Jn 3: 16) The word “so” in this statement speaks to the quality and the intensity of that love. It talks of the extent of His love for you that He was willing to do anything to get you back. God is so relentless about His love for you that He continually pursues you. God loves you to the extreme that He does not care about what it will cost Him to have you Himself. His love for you is very deep and it is everlasting. His love is mighty, marvelous and great.
His love cannot be compared to anything. He loves you distinctively. If you are the only one in the world today, Jesus would still have died for you. God so much loved you that He gave His best for you. Jesus is God’s best that you will ever get. The Bible reminded us that because you have Jesus, there is nothing else He won’t give to you in addition to Him. As you go on with your life, I want you to continually remember that you are loved. Even if everyone leaves you, God will not. God does not joke with you. His love is protective and will stabilize you. So, abide in His love.
It is about restoration: The entrance of Jesus into our world is to restore us to where we belong. He restored us to the image of God that we are. Remember all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Thank God for Jesus because in Him we have been restored. The good news is that because of Jesus we are no longer short of God’s glory.
Not only that because of Jesus, we have hope for tomorrow. No matter the challenges that we face today, tomorrow holds a better promise. We who believe in God have been born again into a lively hope. We don’t operate on false hope. We don’t assume that we have hope; rather, we know that we have hope in God. We end up bubbling with hope. Therefore, I encourage you not to despair or be depressed but to hope in God.
We who believe in God has been born again into a lively hope. We don’t operate on false hope.
It is about family: God loves people. God loves and cares for His family. The birth of Jesus reminds us that family including yours is important to God and it should be important to us as well. You must take your family seriously and seek the best of everyone in it. No matter the dysfunction that is going on within your family, God still loves it. Even those who you think are annoying because of the way they are behaving, God still cares for them.
When you look at Jesus’ lineage, as outlined in the gospels, you will realize that He did not come from a perfect family either. People still have their issues but God can bring out treasure in what seems to be garbage. When you trust Him with your family, He can do wonders with them. It is about time you began to look at your family from God’s eyes. People will still be people and God will remain God. As long as God is God, you can’t afford to write anyone off. God has a plan and He will bring beauty out of your ashes experience.
You will have the last laugh: God has a way of turning situations around to His glory. He has a way of causing people to laugh. So, no matter how life has beaten you down, God will cause you to smile again. You may not be laughing right now but you will laugh at last because God has set the ball rolling for you. He will give you a reason to rejoice. Amidst the tension that was going on when Jesus was born, the Angel announced that Jesus’ birth has brought glad tidings to all people. It is your season of good news. I pray that you will hear God’s voice of loving-kindness in Jesus’ name.
You may not be laughing right now but you will laugh at last because God has set the ball rolling for you. He will give you a reason to rejoice.
Nothing is impossible to God: The birth of Jesus reminded us that there is nothing impossible for God to do. God can bring something out of what is not or has never being in existence. He has the power to turn your situation without your input. He has the power to turn darkness into light, confusion and chaos into peace. He has a way of making things work out. So, no matter how impossible the situation is, you cannot write it off because God is involved.
When Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she will have a Son, it looked impossible to her because there is nothing in history that supported what the Angel was saying. But God can do what only He can do without any human agency. Maybe it is about that time you shifted your focus from looking to people to looking to God. Stop looking at who is not there to God who is always there. Stop thinking that what you have is not enough. God can fulfill His promises to you without the help of anyone or anything. He has done it before and He will do it again. It may seem impossible to you but not with God. He can handle it.
No fear: The birth of Jesus reminds us that there is nothing to be afraid of. He told Mary that she should not fear. He also announced to the shepherds that they should not be afraid. He wants me to tell you also that you should not be afraid because there is nothing to fear. If God said that there is nothing to fear that is exactly what He is saying. No matter what your fears are or what you are afraid of, He said that there is nothing to fear. God said that He will take care of it. Contrary to what many of us have come to believe, the devil is not in the detail, God is. When you know this, you know that there is nothing to fear no matter how scary the situation is. You may not know the way out but God is the way and as you trust Him He will reveal Himself to you as the way and the way maker.
If God said that there is nothing to fear that is exactly what He is saying.
Goodwill extended: The angels announced that God’s goodwill has been extended towards all people on whom His favor rests. In other words, you have found favor with God. The birth of Jesus is a reminder that He has a friendly disposition towards you. His thoughts towards you are very good, pleasant, and beautiful every time and every day and in every way. Unfortunately, some Christians have this erroneous belief that God is angry with them and there is nothing they can do to please Him. I beg to differ, God is well pleased with you just as He was with Jesus. Receive His goodwill today because His favor has rested on you.
“God has a friendly disposition towards you…”
Jesus is still the reason for the season. Let’s celebrate Him for only Him deserves the glory and the honor. Amen!