Christmas choices
As we enter the Advent deason and begin making preparations for our Christmas celebrations, it is important to consider the many choices ahead. As always, God’s Word gives us true guidance and provides good examples from the primary participants in the first Christmas celebration. Each one had a choice or choices to make in response to what God was calling them to do as a part of His provision of our Savior. Since the story is so familiar, and for the sake of time and space, I will only quote their responses and offer a possible application to ourselves.
In response to the angel’s announcement to Mary, she said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38 / NIV). Despite the very difficult and embarrassing (potentially life threatening) circumstance this would put her in, Mary was willing to bear it in surrender to the Lord’s will for her. May we also be as ready and willing to be used by God for whatever He asks of us, desiring His will above all else in our lives!
In response to the angel’s appearance to him in a dream, “when Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary home as his wife… and he gave him the name Jesus” (Matthew 1:24, 25b / NIV). Although Joseph was thinking to graciously “divorce her quietly” (verse 19), after the dream he instead chose to believe and accept the angels command, and immediately obeyed it. This choice would also make him a target of public scorn and ridicule, but “being a righteous man” (verse 19), his priority was also God’s will over the opinions of others. May the same be true of us as well!
In response to the angel’s announcement and heavenly host’s singing, “the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened’… When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child… they returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told” (Luke 2:15-20) May we be as eager, not only to make SEEING Jesus as “The Reason for the Season,” but to spread that great news as far and wide as possible through our own “glorifying and praising God” this Christmas season and beyond!
in response to seeing the star that led them to Bethlehem, the Wise Men asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him”… On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:2, 11). May we be as “wise” in our worship of the King of Kings as the Wise Men were, “going the distance” they did, by being lavish and unlimited in offering back to Him the most prized and precious treasures we possess, to the only one worthy of our worship!
Finally, may the choices WE make this season be as free and fulfilling as those made in that first one, so that others will be inspired to do the same. If we so choose, we will have a blessed CHRISTMAS and so will they!