Written by Karen Ehman
December 4, 2017
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When you think of the phrase, “Christmas is coming!” … what sort of emotion does it evoke?
It might be any one of these:
Panic: I only have three more Saturdays of shopping before Christmas. I’m never going to get it all done!
Frustration: Ugh.
There are so many activities this month. We are going to be running all
over the place with very little time to just be together as a family at
home, enjoying each other’s company.
Regret: Why
did I say we’d host the family get-together? Now I have to straighten
and scrub this place from top to bottom AND make the dessert I signed up
to provide, as if I didn’t already have enough to do this month.
Envy: I
noticed on Facebook the gorgeous holiday decorations my co-worker has
in her home. They look like they are straight from an HGTV Christmas
special. Our place looks like we bought ours from the clearance bin at
the local secondhand store.
So many sentiments can invade our hearts and minds. But these emotions don’t stay there.
Often,
they weasel their way into our behavior. We appear distracted when
talking with a friend. Our frustration morphs into hurry as we
frantically try to get it all done. Our regret makes us a grumpy and
ungracious hostess. Our envy leads to ungratefulness and can prevent us
from experiencing the joy that should come from the whole reason for the
celebration of Christmas in the first place.
Are
these the attitudes we want on display during the month of December? Or
should we choose the attitude reflected in the old familiar hymn, Joy to the World?
Joy.
The
emotion that ought to be deeply experienced during the Christmas season
— and, in turn, displayed in our behavior — should be joy. Today’s key
verse states, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.
”
This verse declares that
our reaction to the salvation God freely offers — which began when Jesus
came into the world as a baby that very first Christmas — should be
that rejoicing.
In this Old Testament verse, the word translated for rejoice
actually means “to exult, to go about or to be excited to levity.” What
a stark contrast to the emotions we usually display during the yuletide
season!
But
what if we tried to take our roller coaster of emotions to God, asking
Him to replace them with joy instead? If we choose to consciously thank
God for the indescribable gift of salvation through Jesus, perhaps we
could learn to recapture the joy of Christmas. And not just to feel it
in our hearts, but to go about during the season, excited to the point
of levity, exulting God in the process.
The word exult means
“to leap for joy,” and it’s usually connected with a triumph of some
kind. Through Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection, He triumphed over
death. We need not fear the future because of the miracle of Christmas.
If we have responded to the gospel — the good news about Jesus offering
us salvation — we too can experience a victory over the grave and dwell
with God forever in heaven someday. What a reason to rejoice!
Today,
let’s chase down some Christmas cheer. But not just keep it to
ourselves. Parking our minds on the truth of salvation through Jesus
helps us show joy to the world during the Christmas season. A spotless
house and homemade fruitcake are optional.
Father,
may my mind dwell this season on the incredible gift of salvation
through Jesus that is the source of all joy in this life and the life to
come. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Truth For Today
Psalm 89:15-16, “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, LORD. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness.” (NIV)
More from Proverbs 31 Ministries, here
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