Would you ever make your home somewhere you didn’t want to be? Would you choose to live somewhere you didn’t actually like? That might seem like an unfair question to the Chicago area natives reading this who are just now beginning to check wind-chill forecasts before they walk out the door each morning. But really — why would we ever make our lives somewhere that we didn’t truly love, admire, and appreciate?
God’s love towards us is mysterious. It is unlike any love we’ve ever known. So much of the Christian life is learning how to live in the reality of God’s love towards us every day and in each season of our lives. Let’s consider together the mystery of God’s love for us and how that love, while great, takes time to settle into the deepest places of our soul.
Romans 5:8 may seem an odd verse to associate with Christmas. Since it observes the death of Jesus, wouldn’t it be more appropriate for Good Friday or even Easter? But look at the first part of the verse which reveals the motivation behind Christ’s death: God’s personal love for us.
‘Tis the season, right? Outdoor lights. Check! Indoor decorations. Check! Grocery shopping, gift shopping, online shopping — shopping, shopping, shopping.
When was the last time you were overjoyed?
Recently I witnessed my daughter’s college soccer team learning just minutes after they won a game that they had clinched the all-season championship and were heading into playoffs and the NCAA tournament. In that moment, I saw a group of young women completely ecstatic and screaming with happiness! They were overjoyed at the surprise of receiving what they had been striving for after countless hours of practice and many, many games. I couldn’t help but feel their joy and celebrate with them as they cheered, jumped up and down, laughed, cried, and hugged while passing around and kissing their team trophy.
During Christmas we are reminded that there are things this world has to offer and there are things that God has to offer. If it’s God’s, then it’s good. If it’s the world’s, then it’s typically a counterfeit version of a kingdom truth.
Joy is promised by God and something we should strive towards. Joy is often confused or substituted with happiness. Happiness is unpredictable and requires good circumstances to exist. God’s joy, on the other hand, sticks around. It doesn’t get chased off by troubles.
Have you ever lost something precious to you — a pet, a wedding ring, your phone, your keys? Such loss creates a pit in your stomach because it held a very special place in your heart. But what joy comes when we find what we thought was lost!
Create your own family nativity set. Cut squares of white paper and have each person draw a character of the nativity on each piece. Tell the story together as you glue the characters on a poster. Have the kids color in the scenery.
Joy. What does it mean and why do we hear so much about it at this time of year? Psalm 16, one of the Messianic psalms, suggests that joy is something we can be filled with in God’s presence.
