Yesterday we talked about missing Christmas due to being so busy. Today I wanna talk about another way we might "miss" Christmas: When times are bad.
Having not been a Christian for most my life, I can tell you that there have been some seemingly BAD Christmas seasons in my past. Overworked, under paid, relationship strains, illness, death and more.
One of the problems in the Christian world is that we have been sold a false bag of goods stating that Christmas is the most wonderful time of year due to decorations and gifts and songs and eggnog and other stuff. We've bought into this lie so hard that we impose being joyous and happy and cheerful on others almost without thought!! I mean...IT'S CHRISTMAS afterall!!
Here's the problem with thinking that Christmas is supposed to be (or was always) such a happy time...It's just not true!!
Two teenage kids pregnant traveling by donkey.
No room at the inn.
Giving birth in the barn.
Filthy shepherds crowding all around you to see the baby.
So drummer boy showing up wanting play on his drums...REALLY?? Okay that pat is not biblical, but moms...Can you imagine your response to some kid banging on a drumset after you've given birth???
But how about this consequence of Christmas:
"Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men." -Matthew 2:16
Well Merry Christmas!!
"Hey mom and dad who just had their infant son slaughtered months after Jesus' birth last year...Smile!! Merry Christmas!!"
Can you see how that might be a struggle?? I can. Now...To be fair, no kids are getting dragged into the street by the government and killed...In our country at least...But waht about those with family members dying or having passed in the last year?? What about those that have been unemployed or those that simply are lonely.
Christmas can be a very bad time of year in those circumstances...IF...IF...IF we lose sight of the Gospel and the fact that God is holy and perfectly good. The fact that He is in complete and total control. The fact that He is the point of both the Christmas story and everything else before and after it.
And...The fact that we are not.
I'm not attempting to trivialize those who are hurting...Quite the opposite actually...I am both highlighting that there are those suffering in the season AND - more importantly - Highlighting the solution to any and every pain out there...Jesus!!
So if you are struggling this season for any number of reasons, know that this season is just for you. The amazing thing about Christmas is that it is the gift that gives us tangible cures to suffering - God with skin on - Jesus!! Look to Him right now. Kneel before Him now. Surrender that hurt and heartache now.
I often wonder how many of those poor families of the children slaughtered all because of the first Christmas joined the faith and followed Jesus...The very reason that their little baby son, nephew, grandson, or brother died. Only faith in Jesus as the Messiah...The King...God could have allowed moving through suffering of that nature.
Surely it can help us as we move through the suffering in our lives as well.
"Instead, be very glad--for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world." -1 Peter 4:13
"Love one another." -Jesus
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