How we move past Christmas
As I wandered in stores this week, and observed life in general, one disturbing message was loud and clear - Christmas is over.
It's time to shove all the merchandise (that has been so highly lauded since Halloween) pell mell onto the clearance shelves and mark it 80% off.
Out with the old.
We're done with that stuff; we're moving on and now Valentine's merchandise is going there...
Christmas is over; the message is clear.
It is now time to gear up for 2012.
Family, celebrations, "I'll be home for Christmas" dreams are seemingly all complete, shoved into boxes and stuffed back into the attic or taken out in the trash in the mounds of ripped off wrapping paper.
Out with the sentimental and nostalgic: time to make new resolutions, look forward, clear the clutter (as is the lead story of every single magazine out there) and determine to be a better ________(you fill in the blank)
Yes, the tree must come down.
Yes, our homes must be reclaimed from bows and lights and set up again for the business of life.
But when you pack away your nativity set, be sure you don't pack away your Savior.
For while Christmas stuff may be 80% off, His worth has not diminished.
We need not wait till Easter to again consider His impact on our world.
He is the God of every day; not only God in times of bi-yearly celebration.
Every day He walks with us providing new mercy and fresh strength. (Lamentations 3:23, Isaiah 40:31)
The reason that baby came to a manger was to be the Lord of our lives.
And as we go into a new year, we need One who is our Lord.
Who else knows both our future and our hearts?
Who else knows what motivates us and how to make us desire to live for Him?
Who else has a plan and makes all things work together so that we may be more like Him with each passing day?
The falling on our knees of our response to the angel's news, must continue it's work in our life as we submit our days, our desires, our expectations, our needs, our all, to the One who loved us enough to wrap Himself in flesh: so that we could live forever with Him - and not only someday in heaven but today. Today we can live with Him, and in Him, and through His strength and obedience to His Word in our lives.
You have celebrated the coming of the baby but let the new year still find you on bended knee to the King.
Out with the old.
We're done with that stuff; we're moving on and now Valentine's merchandise is going there...
Christmas is over; the message is clear.
It is now time to gear up for 2012.
Family, celebrations, "I'll be home for Christmas" dreams are seemingly all complete, shoved into boxes and stuffed back into the attic or taken out in the trash in the mounds of ripped off wrapping paper.
Out with the sentimental and nostalgic: time to make new resolutions, look forward, clear the clutter (as is the lead story of every single magazine out there) and determine to be a better ________(you fill in the blank)
Yes, the tree must come down.
Yes, our homes must be reclaimed from bows and lights and set up again for the business of life.
But when you pack away your nativity set, be sure you don't pack away your Savior.
For while Christmas stuff may be 80% off, His worth has not diminished.
We need not wait till Easter to again consider His impact on our world.
He is the God of every day; not only God in times of bi-yearly celebration.
Every day He walks with us providing new mercy and fresh strength. (Lamentations 3:23, Isaiah 40:31)
The reason that baby came to a manger was to be the Lord of our lives.
And as we go into a new year, we need One who is our Lord.
Who else knows both our future and our hearts?
Who else knows what motivates us and how to make us desire to live for Him?
Who else has a plan and makes all things work together so that we may be more like Him with each passing day?
The falling on our knees of our response to the angel's news, must continue it's work in our life as we submit our days, our desires, our expectations, our needs, our all, to the One who loved us enough to wrap Himself in flesh: so that we could live forever with Him - and not only someday in heaven but today. Today we can live with Him, and in Him, and through His strength and obedience to His Word in our lives.
You have celebrated the coming of the baby but let the new year still find you on bended knee to the King.
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