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December 05, 2012
December 05, 2012
"The Giving Season"
Scripture Reading:
1 John 3:16-18 (HCSB) This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need—how can God’s love reside in him? Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.
1 John 3:16-18 (HCSB) This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need—how can God’s love reside in him? Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.
Devotional Reading:
As
we approach the Christmas season, many wonder how they will celebrate
this special season. The traditional family orientation of the Christmas
season sometimes accentuates and magnifies the sense of aloneness that
many people feel throughout the year. As I read these verses in 1 John
this week, it occurred to me that they give us a formula for living out
the real meaning of Christmas - a formula that gives purpose for each of
us for this season, whether or not we have a family to celebrate with!
Jesus' coming to Earth wasn't so that we could have warm fuzzies at
Christmas time. He came to lay down His life for us so that we could
have eternal life. We in turn are called to lay down our lives for
others. Jesus told us that the whole law is summed up in two
commandments to love: love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind,
and strength; and, love your neighbor as yourself. The formula in these
verses is this: if we have something to give - and all of us have
something, whether it be simply a warm smile or a helping hand - we need
to give it to those who have need. Christmas is all about celebrating
the love that Christ showed us in coming to earth and laying down His
life for us. When we focus on getting warm fuzzy feelings this time of
year, we are missing the whole meaning of Christmas. It is celebrating
only in word, only in intent, and not in action. It is a focus on me,
rather than on the One whose coming we are celebrating and the reason
why He came. When we focus on finding someone who is in need to give to
this Christmas season, we are celebrating in deed and in truth. The
need may be physical, spiritual or emotional. It may be obvious to us,
or it may be that the Lord will reveal a need that is not so obvious. We
have enough time yet before Christmas to pray about who the Lord would
have us give to of ourselves this holiday season. Let's make plans to
celebrate Christ's birth by laying down our lives in some small way for
those who the Lord puts on our hearts.
Keep the Son in your eyes,
Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay
Galatians 2:20
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