Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Grumpy or Grace?


Christmas...it is the one time of the year when the world peeks in on Luke's narrative about a baby born and laid in a manger. This is a time of year when the truth of the gospel washes across the globe. The words of familiar Christmas songs like Silent Night and Joy to the World are heard, and their message of love and hope reach inside the yearning hearts of people everywhere. Songs about the birth of Jesus, breathe the wonder of the Incarnation into the darkest places in our culture as well.
Try to imagine what people from every culture would experience if every Christian stopped complaining about “the war” on their holiday. What would the world experience if we stopped being “angry” over how it has been commercialized as they also watch us “buying into” the same way of celebrating Christmas as they do... exhibiting much the same signs of stress they exhibit?
                                                                                                                                         
Imagine what the Christmas season would be like for everyone if Christians would just be bursting forth with joy?  Shouldn’t those of us whose hearts have been transformed by Christ....shouldn’t we be the most joyous members of the human race when the calendar flips to December? 

I was thinking...maybe, just maybe, that tired retail worker at the checkout line would say "Merry Christmas," not because we demand and insist on it, but because the joy of this season so overflows in us that they couldn’t help but have it spill out of their hearts too!

The real war on Christmas is the one being fought every day in the hearts of believers, not by the retail stores policies or by politicians or even the economy. You know...Christians do have a choice to make in all of this. We can either revel in the miracle of the Incarnation or allow ourselves to be distracted from “the Reason for the season” by the enemy of our soul who seeks to rob God's people of our joy.

Yes... For Christians...Christmas is our holiday. Oh, the world may attempt to “rename” this season...but the truth is we have the most wonderful opportunities during the Christmas season by having nearly an entire month to rejoice at the unfolding of God's salvation plan. So this Christmas, may we be found celebrating the birth of Jesus with generosity towards those we love, charity toward those who don't celebrate as they ought, and gospel gladness and truth to a world that desperately needs the good news!
“Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” ~Luke 2:9-11 NLT
May the joy of the Lord guide you this Christmas...
Kathy


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1 comment:

  1. Tim PritchardDecember 8, 2011 at 4:42 PM

    Thank you Kathy for sharing, we all need a reminder to keep our eyes up and our hearts and minds in the right place. Merry Christmas!!

    ReplyDelete

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About Me

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My life in Christ came a bit late in life.I grew up in a Christian home and was baptized at age 9. I enjoyed a long career as a flight attendant (1973-2005). I met my husband Brad, in 1984 while living in Tampa Florida. At the time, we both were living a lifestyle that was not pleasing to the Lord. We married in 1986, but it wasn't until early 1992 that I knew the Lord was calling me to Him. God placed this same desire in my husband's heart. As Brad and I grew in faith, so did our desire to serve God in ministry. In late 2002 we moved to Virginia Beach where the Lord called Brad to serve as a Worship minister. In 6 short months, Brad was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I found my greatest moments of weakness came when I placed my thoughts on all the things that could go wrong and allowed fear to take hold. We were given 5 more years to share together. God is faithful and to His glory I serve Him through writing devotionals and inspirational article for this blog as well as a published writer with the writing team of A Widow's Might ministry. Our Devotional Books are titled: "For The Love of Her Life". I am also an Inspirational Speaker.