Verse
of the day: Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward
men!”
Are
we truly celebrating Christmas? Far too many of us allow the busyness of this
season get the best of us. We get lost in commercialism, prepping meals, and
stressing out over everything that needs to be done before we gather with
family and friends to “celebrate” Christmas. However, how much of our
celebration truly includes the One who we are supposed to be celebrating? Are
we glorifying God in how we celebrate His birth? The angels who appeared unto
the shepherds proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest!” Glory to the God who
loves us, and came to us as a baby, for the sole purpose of giving His life for
us so that we would have eternal life and never perish (John 3:16; 10:28).
Glory to God who came to bring peace on earth! I am not talking about peace
amongst men primarily, as this is obvious from simply watching the news and
seeing the lack of peace that exists all over the world. The peace He came to
bring on earth is peace between God and man (Colossians 1:19-22). This is His
good will, or kindness and good pleasure, toward each of us. So, how do we
celebrate the birth of Christ and what He ultimately did for us on Calvary? We
celebrate it by not making it a one-day celebration. We, as born again
believers, should be celebrating the coming of our Savior by doing all we can
to glorify Him every day of our lives. We can do this by sharing the peace of
God with others, with every opportunity the Lord gives us (and I am sure He
presents us with opportunities every day). This time of year is one of the
easiest times of the year to spread the Gospel message. It is as simple as
including a Gospel tract in a Christmas card, or including it in a gift. It is
as simple as baking cookies or brownies for the neighbors, and including a
Gospel tract. How about taking it a step further, and seeking to be at peace
with those around us, as we are told in Romans 12:18? “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably
with all men.” We can also do this by obeying God’s command to forgive
those who have offended us, and whom we are holding grudges against, and praying
for those who have mistreated us (Colossians 3:12-15, Matthew 5:44). We can
certainly show good will toward others, as we have received God’s good will. A
simple act of kindness, or two, can make the difference in the life of someone
who is feeling lonely, rejected, and hopeless. Who knows, maybe one of those
people that we take the time to bake some cookies for, or buy groceries and a
gift for, during this season of giving (or any time of the year), could make
the different in the life of someone who may even be contemplating ending their
own life. We just do not know how greatly God could use an act of love and
kindness performed in His Name, and for His glory. The bottom line is that we,
who are called by our Savior’s Name, need to get out of our comfort zones, and
go beyond our self-centeredness, and do all we can to share the Gospel message
with others. Our willingness to be kind to others, and share the good will we
have received, by showing them the love of Jesus in how we treat them, can open
doors of opportunity for us to lead other to the One who this season is all about,
Jesus. Let us do more than just celebrate this day once a year. Let us make
every day a celebration of the birth, death, and resurrection of our
life-giving Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. “Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, good will toward men!”
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