Month: December 2024

Luke 2: 10-11 (NLT) “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!” This time of year, it is easy to get caught up in all the glitz of the holiday season. The bright lights, the buying of presents, the parties and family get togethers often distract us from what Christmas is all about, and that is the birth of Christ the Lord. Now admittedly we don’t know the exact day Jesus was born, and there are many theories as to why December 25th was chosen to celebrate His birth, but if we are going to celebrate the birth of the Messiah then we should remember why He came and how He lived His life. Christmas is not about the presents we give or receive, it is not about the parties we attend, it is not about the songs we sing or the food we eat, it is about the baby who was born for a purpose. We don’t know much about His early years, but we do know about the man He grew into. I would like to think that not only did Jesus come to take on our sin and pay a debt we could never repay, but to set an example of how we should live our lives. I’ve often heard people say, “Life is short, live life to its fullest!” but exactly how do we do that? When we’re young we think traveling, making lots of money, having fun will bring us satisfaction, but those things are temporary, they vanish like dust in the wind. How do you want to be remembered, or will you even be remembered and for how long? Until those who knew you forget or pass away? Maybe we need to ask ourselves “How will God remember me”? I guess the point I’m getting at is maybe, during this season when we are celebrating the birth of Christ, we should start thinking more about living our lives in a way that honors Him and brings glory to His name. I’m not saying we shouldn’t keep the traditions past down to us from our family or buy presents or get together with those we love, but maybe we need to start adding to our celebrating the thought of serving others. Maybe this would be a good time to teach our children about compassion, kindness, forgiveness and love by doing things for others. I knew a woman who every year during the holiday season didn’t just donate money or items to the needy, but she would take her son to hand out blankets, socks, soap and other items to the homeless. There was a time when she was in need, and she knew how it felt to be forgotten and alone, she wanted her son to understand how blessed they truly were and the importance of helping others. She was in no way, shape or form wealthy, but she was so grateful for what she had that she was compelled to give to those who had little. There are many ways to serve others and teach our children the importance of giving, even if it by giving time to the lonely. There are groups who have giving trees where you can select a name and buy presents for that family or child. I remember adopting a patient at the nursing home to buy presents for, believe it or not there are many who don’t get visitors. The elderly are often forgotten and overlooked at this time of year; you should see how their faces light up when children come to visit or sing Christmas carols to them. Even if you don’t have money to spend there are things you can do to serve others, spending time reading to the young or old in the hospital can brighten their day. But don’t let it end once the season is over with, there are those in need throughout the year. That baby that was born thousands of years ago, He spent His life helping others, He paid the ultimate price sacrificing His life so we might live. So, during this season, let’s take the time to honor and glorify Him, to make a commitment to live our lives, each and every day, in such a way that reflects how He lived His life. Don’t make Christmas all about the lights, the parties, the gifts – instead make it all about Him. With that being said, I pray that He continues to bless all of you throughout the years to come and bring you the peace of heart, even during difficult times, that only He can give.

Colossians 3:23-25 “Work willingly at whatever you do as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the master you are serving is Christ. But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.” I remember when I first moved to Florida, I went in for a job interview and at the end of the interview, the person said to me the job was mine even before the interview. Why? Because the area of the country I was from was known to have a strong work ethic. It was ingrained in us at a very young age that you gave your employer 100% while you were on the job. Times have changed, but as Paul said, we should be willing to do everything as if we are doing it for the Lord. He created us to work hard, in Genesis 1:28 it tells us “God blessed them and said to them ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’” Adams job – multiply, grow, rule and care for everything. People tend to feel better, they are more satisfied when they work hard. Even if the work you do is more mental than physical, it still gives you satisfaction when you feel you have done your job to the best of your abilities. Paul is not telling us to simply “work hard”, he’s telling us to put our whole heart and soul into whatever we do, and admittedly that isn’t always easy. We are to work as if we are working for the King of Kings, not for human bosses. As the quoted scripture says, we need to remember “that the master you are serving is Christ”. As Christians, these verses should really hit home for us because we represent Christ, we identify ourselves through Him. Our behavior, our attitude, our work ethic should all speak in a positive manner, reflecting His values and love. We need money to live on this earth, but that should be a secondary reason for working hard, our primary reason or thought should be we are working to please God and to glorify His name. The reward we will receive from Him cannot be bought with money and is of far more value than any possession on this earth. So, on those days when your boss is getting on your last nerve, or you are wondering if your job is really worth all you are putting up with; think about these verses in Colossians. Picture in your mind Christ standing in front of you, smiling and nodding His head because you are putting your whole heart and soul into your work, you are working for the Lord rather than for people. Until next time may God bless you and bring peace to your heart.

2 Peter 1:7 “…and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.” Vocabulary.com defines brotherly affection as “a kindly and lenient attitude toward people.” In 2nd Peter brotherly affection is referring to a love between fellow believers. We have a common bond with other believers and that is our love for Christ, that is one reason we often refer to each other as brothers and sisters. But just like our biological brothers and sisters we don’t always find it easy to get along. That is why this theme is repeated frequently in the New Testament, Romans 12:10 says “Love one another with brotherly affection”; John 13:34 “…love one another just as I have loved you” and in 1 Peter 1:22 “…you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters…” And we are given examples in Acts 11:27-30, Galatians 6:2 and Philippians 2:3-4. We have to cultivate this love, pursue it in a conscientious manner, this is a word of action and is often a sign of spiritual maturity. Remembering we are all individuals with different personalities helps us to understand that we may instantly be drawn to some people more than others. Having a respect for our differences will also help us to become a blessing to all our brothers and sisters, not just those whom we are drawn to. But it is our love of Christ that binds us, and after all, love covers a multitude of sins. Which brings us to the eight and probably considered the most important trait of a Christian – and that is love. This love is “agape”, it is a selfless love considered to be the highest form of Christian love. It is a love that you extend towards others without expecting anything in return, it is a sacrificial love. And while brotherly love refers to a love extended towards other believers, agape love is extended towards everyone, believers and non-believers alike. If you think about what God did for us (John 3:16), this was an agape type of love, He was willing to sacrifice His Son for us. In Matthew 5:43-48 we are told to love our enemies because when it comes to love we are “to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect”. But even agape love is not automatic for us, we will find it is necessary to cultivate it, to feed into it, to encourage it to grow, and as we do, we grow not only closer to each other but to God. God has given us everything we need to develop these eight Christian characteristics, it is up to us to put them into action, to develop them fully. And when we do, then God will give us more and more grace and peace as we grow in our knowledge of the Father and Son (2 Peter 1:2). So, which of these eight traits do you need to work on? Some of us have more work to do than others. Being aware of our shortcomings brings us a step closer to working on the areas where we fall short, and as we work on these areas, we will develop a deeper relationship with those around us but more importantly with God. Until next time may God bless you and bring peace to your heart.