We're entering a time of year where many of us become consumed with the holidays and seasonal festivities. It is very easy to get caught up in the mania and madness, and we sometimes forget the purpose of exactly why this is such a celebratory time of year. Every day of life is precious, because it gives us another opportunity to worship and praise our Heavenly Father, and to enjoy all that life has to offer. Jesus Christ told us in John 10:10 that he came to the earth so that we could have life and have it more than abundantly. So, we can be confident that God wants us to enjoy life, but sometimes we get things twisted around. This season is a time when our level of thankfulness and good cheer should begin to shift in high gear, but instead, many of us want this season of change and wonder to be over as quickly as possible.
Stores have already begun to market Christmas decorations and gifts, and many of us complain that it’s too much too soon. We say that companies and enterprises are not allowing us to settle into planning for one holiday before they begin to bombard us with preparation for another one. Could it be that they are responding to our impatience and desire to rush just about every aspect of life?
The fall colors, the beautiful falling leaves, and slight brisk in the air, these are indicators that change is near. Our Heavenly Father wove the beautiful changes in nature into His creation, and because of this, we should take note that He intended the change of seasons to be a beautiful thing. It shouldn't be cloaked with the anxiety and worries that many of us have about this time of the year. It isn’t necessary for us to continue to be on a merry-go-round of angst and financial stress. We can choose to jump off and be different going forward.
The end of each year marks a period of harvest and blessings, this is where our focus should be. We should look no further than the Gospel of Luke to find our navigation and inspiration. It tells us that shepherds were guarding their sheep, when suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to them. At first, they were afraid, but the angel comforted them and said in Luke 2:10-11(KJV), “Don’t be afraid!...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!"
Talk about a blessing!!! There is no greater blessing in all of eternity than the birth of our Lord and Savior, coming into this dark world to rescue us. Because of what Jesus Christ accomplished through his life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection, you and I can enjoy a season of harvest. We can work hard when it’s time to do that, and then we can enjoy the fruit of our labor. This is all because of Christ.
Luke 2:13-14 says that as suddenly as the first angel appeared, a multitude of angels showed up and they were praising God saying, “Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and good will towards everyone.” The angels were responding to the goodness of God because they knew the Messiah had been born. Jesus brought great joy into the world, and one of the things we forget in this day and age is the joy we have received through him. You can look at people’s faces and see that they have not tapped into this joy. We let our situations and circumstances dictate how we feel, but this is not what it means to reign and live with authority. When you live with the authority of Christ, you live based on what God says, not on the conditions and situations of the moment.
Again, we need to get off the merry-go-round of stress and anxiety and gain a new perspective this season. We should make a commitment to demonstrate the joy of Christ. This is what our God desires and deserves. This joy that we have as believers, the world didn’t give it, and we shouldn’t let the world take it away. Let’s remember to be thankful for the reason for every celebration, and it is because our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was born. God gave us the life of His only begotten Son so that we wouldn’t perish but have eternal life. We must be mindful to make the season about welcoming change, giving thanks for our many blessings, and celebrating what God had done for us all through the person of Jesus Christ.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“A Seasonal Perspective”, written for victoryinjesuschrist.life© 2019. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
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