3:361 – Christmas Is Over, Now What?

#faithbites #faithjourney over

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It’s December 26 and Christmas is behind us. Have you taken down your tree? Are the gifts all put away and the trash can filled? Have you turned of Michael Bublé and Pentatonix? Most of you have probably said no as you wait until New Year’s Day to take down all of the decorations. Why? You want to remember the feeling of Christmas, living in the joy of the season for a few more days.

While we may not always have our decorations up, be expecting gifts, eating more than we should, or listening to Carols, we can choose to have this feeling year-round.

This is what it means to be a true follower of Christ. To understand the meaning of Christmas. That Jesus is for everyone, every day, forever. We may not be singing about Frosty or Rudolph, but we should always seeing about What Child is This, Silent Night, Go Tell It on the Mountain.

How are you going to keep this feeling in your life now that Christmas is over?

Scripture

• 1 John 2:6 -Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
• Psalm 47:1 – Clap your hands, all you nations, shout to God with cries of joy.
• 1 Peter 1:8-9 – Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Reflection

God works in mysterious ways. As I was writing this, a friend sent me a message that said “And just like that, Christmas is done, put away, finito”. I replied with a frowny face. (No judgment). Sure, the tinsel may be coming down and songs may be changing back to “normal” programming, but we don’t have to go back to normal

Christ tells us how to live and many of us don’t. It’s not the end of the world if we repent and ask for forgiveness. At the same time, Jesus wants us to be happy. We should love him, clap with joy, sing praises to God. It’s not just a once a year thing or a Sunday thing. Understanding that our God loves us so much he came down to Earth as a helpless child, lived as a man, and died a criminal’s death. This is what Christmas means. We have a chance to live with God, to see the light that many of our ancestors didn’t.

As you are experiencing the in-between week of Christmas and New Years’, making plans to take down your decorations, remember, Christ is more than Christmas. He is always, forever, and love.

Challenge

Leave your decorations up just a little longer than normal. Make time in your life for al ittle more Jesus. Try to bottle up the feeling of Jesus’s birth and love.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for your Son. We didn’t deserve him but you gave him to us. Your love was light and we are saved. As we transition through the Christmas season to New Year’s Day and beyond, help us to keep the light and love of the season all year. Let us love more, forgive more, keep grudges less, judge less, and know that you are God. In your name, we pray, Amen.