A Not So Merry Christmas

Read: Matthew 7:9-12 Christmas is an exhilarating time of the year for many, but others find it frustrating and depressing. All it takes is an empty spot at the Christmas table, a lost job, a divorce, or bad news from the doctor, and the joy and exhilaration of Christmas is swallowed up completely. This is especially true since these problems will still be here in three weeks when everyone else is shouting, “Merry Christmas!” Transforming this kind of Christmas is impossible for us, but not for God. The first thing to remember is God never intended our lives to be shattered by such sorrow. He created this world to be and remain perfect-no sorrow, no loss, no divorce and no death-ever! Our first parents Adam and Eve brought this disorder into our world when they disobeyed God. God could have abandoned His dying world, but He decided to revive it instead. There in the Garden where Adam and Eve had sinned God promised them He would send His Son to restore humanity and this world in which we live. Christmas is the first chapter in God keeping His promise. The Savior was born to restore fallen people to their loving Father by His perfect life and innocent suffering and death on the cross. Three days later Christ shattered the grave and rose from the dead. His resurrection guarantees that death won’t have the final victory over our loved ones or us. If there’s something in your life right now that is keeping the Christmas season from being merry or your holidays from being happy, try to remember, as hard as that may be sometimes, that God is still in control of your life.]]>