Who is Christ to you this Christmas?
I remember growing up in church as a little girl. The Christmas season was filled with service after service of hymns, programs, living nativities and church plays.
I remember having to open the hymnal and sing Christmas carols with my family- songs like “Messiah”
This song takes most of its words from Isaiah 9
“For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder, And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6
We can all hear the chorus in our hearts as we are reading the words above. People have been singing this song for hundreds of years around the world by the millions.
The words tend to wash over us- but I was reading the words now in my context of 2020- they seem to have leapt off the page and gave new meaning to this hopeless and broken world.
🎁Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given-
God’s kingdom is never about force, harsh punishment, or manipulation. It’s about gentleness- wrapping himself in the form of a meek child- given as a gift to us. Our actions and attitude should mirror that of generosity, and going over and above to all that we meet with love and kindness.
🎁The government will be upon HIS shoulders-
I don’t need to tell you about all the political anxiety in upheaval that has happened this year. We must remember that our hope and our faith doesn’t come from a government or political leader- but from the God of the universe.
🎁Wonderful Counselor
How many of us this year needed a counselor to go alongside us and let us know the right thing to do during the midst of a chaotic time? There is so many decisions and had to be made this year:
Where will our children be educated?
What was our job going to look like?
Are we going to be able to stay in our current living situation?
Are we going to have enough food?
There is a Wonderful Counselor that’s filled with all wisdom and knowledge that we can turn to it anytime- all we need to do is take the time and ask!
🎁Mighty God, Everlasting Father
Talking about your father might be a very sensitive topic. Statistics say that most people in this world don’t know their father or have been separated from their father.
We are constantly looking for approval from the world- but what we really need to look for is the approval of our Heavenly Father. He is everlasting- never forsaking us- always a constant companion. We can run to his arms at any time.
🎁Prince of Peace
Raise your hand if you needed peace this year. Raise your hand if there was any moment that you felt anxious or filled with dread. How many of us lost sleep over hypothetical situations?
How many of us we’re too paralyzed by fear to even get out of bed? If we put our peace in our hope in our finances and our career- we learned in 2020 that all of those things can be taken away within an instant. If we put our piece in a political figure or the government- they can disappoint us as well.
But if we put our true peace in the Prince of Peace- we don’t have to worry about anything in this life. We can sleep with peace knowing that our Heavenly Father watches over us and will provide for us our daily bread.
We don’t need to run to a bottle, likes, fame, power or pills- those things will just leave us empty. We need to entrust our life to the Prince of Peace.
🎄So this Christmas-
let God fulfill every single desire in your heart. Let Christ be the beginning, middle and end of your story. I promise that if you do- 2021 will be a year of seeing his grace and his provision in amazing ways.