This Christmas

What if we treated every week like this one?

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Quick Announcement

Lord willing, I’m going to take a break until our new study of a book of the Bible begins on Sunday, January 5, 2025. I enjoy writing and making podcast episodes where we can study the Bible together. But it’s also good to take a brief break sometimes - and I could use a little break.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and Lord willing, we’ll be back together in 2025!

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It’s amazing to me how this week is so different from the other weeks out of the year. People get together and actually spend time with each other – preparing meals, watching their favorite Christmas movies, even going to church together.

I can’t help but wonder—what if we treated every week like this one? As another Christmas is upon us, I’d like to share three things I hope we will all do “this Christmas” and each day going forward.

This Christmas…Make the Most of Your Time With Family.

Because of work and school schedules, many of us don’t get to spend much time with our extended family until times like Christmas. Let me encourage you to make the most of that time with your family.

Throughout each year, I attend many funerals. Each one of those funerals represents someone’s loved one who was there last Christmas, and who won’t be there this Christmas. You never know whose last Christmas this might be – so make the most of this Christmas. We aren’t promised tomorrow (James 4:13-14), much less another Christmas.

This Christmas…Remember the People Who Are Grieving.

What makes Christmas such an enjoyable time for many of us, are the people we spend it with. This is also why Christmas can be such a difficult time of year for widows, widowers, and others whose loved ones have died. Many of the people they love and once laughed around a Christmas tree with have gone on to their reward.

So, be mindful of the ones who are having a difficult time with grief this Christmas. Be kind to each other (Romans 12:10), and be willing to be sad with those who are sad during a time when most people are happy (Romans 12:15).

This Christmas…Rejoice in the Fact That Jesus Has Come and Will Come Again.

Jesus really was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18-25) and came to this world to live among us (John 1:14). Now, I don’t know if December 25^th is the actual day He was born – I tend to think it probably wasn’t. But the fact that Jesus, the Son of God (Romans 1:1-4), came to this earth is worth remembering and celebrating any time of the year.

When the shepherds were told about the birth of “a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,” a multitude of “heavenly hosts” appeared in the night sky praising God: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:8-14). When the shepherds saw Jesus with their own eyes, they left “glorifying and praising God” (Luke 2:20).

In addition to that, it’s also worth rejoicing over the fact that Jesus is going to return for us one day (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). How comforting it is that Jesus came the first time to reconcile us to God (Romans 5:6-11), and He’s going to come back the second time to take us home to be with God forever (Revelation 22:1-5).