Belated Merry Christmas 2024, everyone!
I’m sorry that this post is a day late.
Although we don’t know the exact date of Jesus’ birth, Christmas is a time when the attention of a large number of people is brought to Jesus. Jesus did something that no other man has done or could do: He left heaven- a place of perfection and unparalleled joy and came to the sin-darkened earth to bring healing, freedom, and redemption from sin to all who would accept it. He, God, came down to this earth and humbled Himself as much as to become a baby born into a poor family.
He lived a humble life but He exuded a profound nobility and power because of the holy life that He lived. Then, He died on the cross, paying the penalty for the sins of all of humanity. He gifts everyone with the opportunity to have the gift of eternal life if they will only surrender to and cooperate with His loving efforts to save them.
As we ponder the selflessness of Jesus, I want to also add that Christmas is a time that brings out the warmer, family-oriented side of humanity. It is a time when thinking of others becomes prominent. I hope that each and every Christmas will be a time for each of us to ponder the profound selflessness of Jesus and to seek to exemplify His selflessness in our lives. We were made to receive love from God and to share it with those around us. When we function according to this pipeline of love, we find true fulfillment and satisfaction.
My encouragement to everyone is to look up to God and to drink deeply from the fountain of His love. Then, once our personal love cups have been filled, we can look outward and share that love with those around us. When this cycle repeats and repeats and repeats and becomes our way of life, we will be living in the way that we were designed to live.
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Matthew 22:37-39 (KJV)
“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
We love him, because he first loved us.
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” 1 John 4:16-21 (KJV)
Blessings and courage to all. I know that the holidays are times of gladness and fellowship for many, but they are also times of sadness and grieving for those who are missing one or more loved ones or who have no loved ones at all. If you are a person who thinks that no one cares about you, please know that God loves you very, very much.
Learn and Grow 4ever 