Have to admit, there is no doubt the holidays are my
favorite six weeks of the year with Christmas being the centerpiece of it all.
From Thanksgiving all the way through New Year's Day, it’s a busy, fast paced,
memory filled, fun time. Santa, music, lights, plays, movies, time with friends
and family, football, gifts, food, a little chill in the air. I love it.
Thank you baby Jesus for making Christmas possible. It’s one
cool deal you started.
Every year at this time the world embraces the story of the
manager and little baby Jesus by heading out to the malls, getting with Santa,
jumping online to shop, putting up lights and all kinds of décor, and ending it
with big family extravaganzas.
The story is told by some that Jesus was born to be the “savior
of the world”. Matter of fact, later as an adult he himself said he was the “light
of the world”. Really? If He is the
light of the world, then why is it getting darker and darker each and every
day?
In just the last few months here have been some of the
headline news stories:
- ISIS leader kills more than 150 children
- North Korea threatens the U.S.…again
- Man kills two cops point blank range in a revenge killing
- Racism abounds with the likes of two different stories involving police officers followed by violent protests all over the country
- Radical Islam terrorist attacks occur in Australia and France
- 9 People shot in a drive by shooting in Miami
This time of year might give us a break from reality for a
few weeks, but let’s face it -this world is one crazy, cruel place these days. No
wonder most people just cast Jesus into this role of the neat little Christmas baby.
He doesn’t seem to be changing anything.
And that’s where the story takes a turn…
See Jesus wasn’t born to give us Christmas and God surely
wasn’t thinking about all the lights, Santa, presents, and profitable retail
revenue his birth would one day create.
No, he didn’t intend to save the world. He intended to save me.
He intended to save you.
This world as we know it is doomed. It isn’t going to get
better. People will get meaner, the world will get darker and evil will reign. Headlines
will get crazier, scarier and fear will grow in the eyes of many. The Bible
itself told us this would all happen thousands of years ago and here we are living
right in the middle of it.
There will be no “peace on earth, good will towards
men”….as we know it.
But peace on earth for me and peace on earth for you? Now,
that’s the real Christmas story.
Let’s be honest. Life can take a bite out of us sometimes. Peace
is hard to come by – financially, socially, relationally, professionally. There
is always “something” right? No matter how hard we try we can’t seem to help but
take two steps back.
Some say believing in God is just a crutch. Well, unless you’re
perfect - never have fears, never stress out, never do anything wrong, never
get lonely, or never doubt your purpose – please stop the arrogance. We all
need something to help us deal with sadness, death, evil, and tragedy. God knew
that when He sent his son into this crazy world. He knew what we needed and
gave us the best Christmas present of all and all we have to do is believe to
receive it.
This world doesn’t need Christmas. I do. And so do you.
Thank you baby Jesus.
Now we get it.
"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." 1 John 5:11
© 2014, J. Brady
"I say it how I see it and I make no bones about
it."
