Christmas is nearly upon us. There will be parties to attend…food to prepare, guests to entertain, gifts to purchase and greetings to send…all wrapped in a whirlwind of activity. During this busy time of tree trimming and family gatherings, we have an opportunity to rehearse and learn the lessons from the birth of Christ.
Let’s look at Mary’s Willingness… “And the angel said unto her, ‘Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and you will call his name JESUS.” Luke 1:30-31 On that very first Christmas Mary, the mother of Jesus, exemplified how WE should live our lives! Always willing to trust God first… no disbelief, no fear, no panic. Always willing to be used of God, no matter what He asks us to do!
Then there was the Star’s Brightness! “There came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, ‘where is he that is born King of the Jews, for we have seen HIS star in the east and have come to worship Him.’” With everything going on around us, we are instructed to “let our light so shine (sparkle with the hope, love and peace of Jesus Christ) before men, that they will see our good works, and glorify our Father, which is in heaven”, regardless of our “hustle and bustle” and harried circumstances.
Of course, we can’t forget the Hastiness of the Shepherd’s, “as it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, ‘Let us NOW go even to Bethlehem, and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger.” Luke 2: 15,16 How quickly do you follow HIM? Are you consistently God-conscience or consumed with the chaos of the day? Have you paused long enough to know if your will is in harmony with HIS?
Lastly, the lesson of The Wise Men’s Unselfishness. “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and fell down and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matt. 2: 11 The wise men found Him, fell before Him, worshipped Him and gave Him the very best that they had to show their love, devotion and adoration. This is exactly what we should do!
We celebrate this time of year because of the incredible gift
God gave us in the birth, life, death and resurrection of His Son!
Will you join me in celebrating the TRUE meaning of Christmas?
~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America. Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California. My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.
