Well, what a year 2021 has been! A year of twists and turns, unexpected stops and cautious starts, and many surprising detours in-between. In coming to the end of this year, I think most people have a sense of relief that, “We made it through”. It’s been a big year!
As we approach Christmas, it’s the perfect time to find our balance again from a year that has spun us around and often left us feeling spiritually, mentally and emotionally dizzy. The Christmas story puts everything into focus. It reminds us God has a plan, it draws our attention towards Jesus amidst the chaos, it reminds us of our salvation, and it fills our hearts with peace as we reflect upon the ‘prince of peace’. Everything about Christmas leads us to the unshakeable hope we find in Jesus.
Over two thousand years ago in the sleepy town of Bethlehem, Jesus the Messiah was born in a common manger to save humanity from our sins. The events didn’t happen as the people of that time would have expected but they happened in alignment to God’s word spoken hundreds of years earlier in the Old Testament and fulfilled through these events recorded in the New Testament. Mary, Joseph, the shepherds in the field and the wise men were all witnesses to the unexpected events leading up to the birth of Jesus. It’s a reminder that God works miraculously in unexpected and unusual seasons. When it’s easy to worry because we don’t understand what is happening in our lives, God’s invitation is always to trust in him because he always has a plan.
This Christmas season is an opportunity for us all to take some time to find our balance again firmly on the foundation of Jesus. The seasons change, but God doesn’t change. It’s a time to focus on the things that really matter in our lives, which is the importance of our relationships. And, it’s most definitely a time to celebrate with joy because of the reason for our hope – salvation through Jesus available for all people.
So, let Jesus bring clarity to the chaos this Christmas season, hope to your despair and peace amongst the uncertainty you may feel. Christmas brings everything in our lives back into focus. Be reminded again in this season that Jesus loves you and he has a plan for you.
John 3:16-17 (NIV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.