The Christmas lights and decorations are still on the streets, and in restaurants and shops. The Christmas season is still agog with festivities, gifts and celebrations. Business is booming with more orders for hampers and cakes and all that’s nice to e at. There are sales to help you buy more than you can afford! Transporters have increased their fares to get in on this Christmas business .
So much has happened in this season, and I am writing to you and to myself. In all the busy festive activities, was there the time to reflect? What is or wha t has all this frenzy been about?
Did those around you understand the reason for this season….? Were you caught up in all the rush, or did you have time to put the Person who this season is about, Jesus Christ at the centre, in His rightful place…? Or was He pushed right out of the way, and we went through the motions…….but without really connecting with Him in our hearts, or helping others to understand.
At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of the Son of the Most High God, Jesus Christ, who was born miraculously (through the power of the Holy Spirit) to Mary and Joseph in a little town called Bethlehem.
We have all sinned and fallen short and unable to save ourselves from the penalty of sin which we deserve. Our Heavenly Father so loved the world that He gave us the greatest gift in His Son, Jesus Christ that who so ever should believe in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life. In other words, the penalty for our sins is death, but Jesus was born to die in my place and your place, thus setting us free to be adopted into God’s family and thus able to call Go d, my Father and to know Him personally .
It is this most precious gift of love of our Father, and Jesus’s Light, and abundant life that we celebrate Jesus for. Yes, there is some fuss over the actual date, but it doesn’t detract from the reason that we celebrate the season. Without Jesus dying on the Cross for us at Easter, we would have no way of doing enough good works to save ourselves. Remember, no one is good because we have bad thoughts or evil desires so we all need a sinless Saviour to redeem us.
With this background, we need to look again at our celebrations and ask ourselves if Jesus was reflected all over them. Did we love unconditionally like Jesus does? Were we able to come around family and friends or are there sibling rivalry and relationships where offence has put asunder? Or is life so much about ourselves that we can’t be bothered about others? Having received the gift of Jesus, were we able to share precious gifts to others. Remember that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. Was Jesus’ light at the centre and did we share His life and love with others? Jesus desires that we have a personal loving relationship with Him, where we love Him wholeheartedly, a relationship where His love is experienced by others, because He is alive and real to us. A relationship where we battle the enemy’s schemes not only in our lives but in the life of others. A relationship where we know who we are in Christ, and as we go, we preach the good news, both in our lifestyles and with our words. We are then actively involved in healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the lepers and driving out demons ( Mathew 10 v 7- 8).
Jesus gave the disciples the authority to walk in all this and it has been passed down to us too. Imagine what light we would emit on earth, if we allow the light of Jesus to shine through us into this dark world.
As we remember how the Angels carrying the goodnews lit up the skies with song, and the absolute joy and peace that was released on earth as the magnitude of the Father’s love for mankind was perceived. Let us pray for a revival that rocks the world such that the world recognises Jesus as the heaven born prince of peace and hails Him as the Son of righteousness. Let us surrender our hearts to Him, so that He can rule the world through us with truth and grace.
Finally, as we enter the new decade, by God’s grace, let us be filled with fear and trembling, knowing that we are vessels made to bring Him glory.
Mina Bajomo
