On One Condition

“Tis the season to be jolly!” Really? Tis the season to shop for everyone on my Christmas list, bake cookies and cakes, cook the expected traditional recipes for family and friends, decorate the house, entertain guests, etc., etc., etc. If I may use a track and field metaphor, Christmas season resembles a sprinting drill; the shot rings out, and from a dead stop, one takes off running as fast as possible for a short distance and then, abruptly stops. Now, the shot was heard and the “sprint” continues for the next few weeks, until everything comes to a screeching halt on January 1, the start of the new year. Phew! Exhausted and with full stomachs, many of us start the cleanup, putting decorations back in boxes, returning them to their assigned places in storage for easy access in time for the next Christmas “sprint” only months away.

Sound familiar?

Well, catch your breath and think about this: Christians all over the world are entering into the second week of the Advent season. Customarily, as followers of Jesus Christ, advent season is the time to thoughtfully ponder what Christmas is all about. Each week leading up to Christmas Day, one aspect of the meaning of faith is highlighted. Week one the emphasis is on hope. What is the hope of the Christian? Our hope is rooted in the blood of Jesus, that provides access to God the Father. Without Jesus, we have no hope beyond life in this world, but in Jesus, we have the hope of eternal life (John 3:16).

Throughout week two, we thank God for His peace. Before Jesus, we were enemies and at war with God, but in Christ, God calls you and me “friend” (Romans 5:10-21).

December can be a time of stress and a distraction from all that is important. Will you carve out of your busy schedule a quiet time to sit with God and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas? The Ultimate Gift that is not dependent upon one’s busy schedule, mood, or circumstances is available to all, but “on one condition;” you must ask for it. Jesus Christ is the Ultimate Gift!

“You will keep in perfect peace, all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3, New Living Translation.