How to Have a Joy-Filled Christmas
How to Have a Joy-Filled Christmas
Mary Southerland - Director of Development, Speaker, Author
Key verse:
Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy,
to
offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this
is your spiritual act of worship." (NIV)
Devotion:
Birthday parties are a lot of fun! Imagine with me a birthday party
thrown in your honor. The house is decorated, the food is prepared, the
festive music is playing and the guests arrive, arms filled with gifts,
laughing with expectation and joy of the celebration ahead. The time
comes to open gifts. Each person is seated as the brightly wrapped
gifts are exchanged. Everyone receives a gift, everyone but you. I
know, it is a ridiculous scenario. Yet, every year, thousands celebrate
the birthday of Jesus Christ by giving gifts to everyone in their lives
but Him. What gifts does He want from us? What gifts are fit for the
King? To answer that question, let's go back to that first Christmas
to see what gifts Jesus received that first Christmas night.
Jesus received the gift of trust, found in the life of Mary, a young
teenage girl who was engaged to Joseph. An angel appeared to Mary,
telling her that she would bear a son called Jesus. She could not
possibly have understood what the angel was saying, but she knew the
One who sent him, and that was enough. Trust is a gift fit for a king.
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own
understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your
paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
Jesus received the gift of obedience, found in the life of Joseph who
was betrothed to Mary. In Jesus' day, a betrothal was legally binding.
During the engagement, Mary became pregnant - and Joseph was not the
father. His first reaction was to quietly divorce her but an angel
delivered a message from God, "Keep her but do not sleep with her!"
Joseph's response could have been many things, but the response he
chose was obedience.
"If you love me, you will obey what I command."
John 14:15
Obedience is the choice to do what God wants us to do; not just an
outward motion but an inner attitude. Father and son were on a mission
- to find an ice cream cone. Scrambling into the front seat, the
little boy stood beside his father, jumping up and down and yelling, "Ice
cream! Ice cream! Ice cream!" Before starting the car, the dad sat
his son down and told him to buckle his seatbelt. The little boy
stared at his father in rebellious silence. The determined father stared right
back and finally said, "Son, we are not going anywhere until you sit
down and buckle your seatbelt." Admitting defeat, the little boy sat
down and buckled his seat belt, but through gritted teeth announced, "I
may be sitting down on the outside, but I'm still standing up on the
inside." Obedience is an inside job, a heart issue and is a gift fit
for the king!
Jesus received the gift of praise, found in the life of the shepherds
to whom the angels announced the good news of Jesus' birth. After seeing
baby Jesus, they went on their own way praising God! Praise is a
continual choice that we make again and again, until it becomes a
habit. Don't allow anyone or any circumstance to steal your joy or keep you
from praising God! Praise keeps us kneeling before the manger and is a
gift fit for the King.
Psalm 50:6 "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."
Jesus received the gift of sacrifice, found in the lives of the wise
men that came, bringing costly gifts. The wise men understood that worship always involves sacrifice. They brought gold, a precious metal, incense, a rare and costly product used in worship, and myrrh, an extravagant perfume like the one Mary used to
wash the feet of Jesus.
"And I was a constant example to you in helping the poor; for I
remembered the words of the Lord Jesus, 'It is more blessed to give
than to receive.'" Acts 20:35
Sacrifice goes beyond what is required or expected. The best gift, the
most precious gift should go to the One whose birthday we celebrate.
This year, give a sacrificial gift in His name, a gift like trust,
obedience, praise and sacrifice. In other words, the best Christmas
gift we can give Jesus Christ is ourselves. The children's song says
it beautifully:
"I'm gonna wrap up myself for Christmas
And tie me with a big red bow.
That's what I'm giving to Jesus.
It's a present He'll like I know."
To have a Christ-Centered Christmas we must receive the gift of Jesus
and then give ourselves to Him.
My prayer for today:
Happy birthday, Jesus! I celebrate your birth and your life. Thank
you for coming to earth as a baby, bringing life and hope to us all. I
surrender to you. May each day be a celebration of Who you are in my
life. In your name, I pray. Amen.
Application steps:
Have you ever given yourself to Jesus Christ? If not, right now, turn
your life over to Him, knowing that He will transform it into more than
you could ever dream. In your journal, record today's date and the
step of obedience you just took. Then celebrate by baking a birthday cake
for Jesus. Invite your family and friends, neighbors and strangers to
join you in honoring the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Reflection point:
What gifts have you given in past years, thinking they were gifts to
God when, in reality, they were tokens of a broken life?
What gifts have you received from Him this year? What have you done
with them?
What will you give Him this year?
Power verses:
Luke 6:38 "Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.
For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (NIV)
Luke 14:33 "Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be
my disciple." (NIV)
Acts 20:35 "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (NIV)
* Copyright © 2004 Salem Web Network and its Content Providers. All rights reserved.
Content from Lil' Ms Snooze
Mary Southerland - Director of Development, Speaker, Author
Key verse:
Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy,
to
offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this
is your spiritual act of worship." (NIV)
Devotion:
Birthday parties are a lot of fun! Imagine with me a birthday party
thrown in your honor. The house is decorated, the food is prepared, the
festive music is playing and the guests arrive, arms filled with gifts,
laughing with expectation and joy of the celebration ahead. The time
comes to open gifts. Each person is seated as the brightly wrapped
gifts are exchanged. Everyone receives a gift, everyone but you. I
know, it is a ridiculous scenario. Yet, every year, thousands celebrate
the birthday of Jesus Christ by giving gifts to everyone in their lives
but Him. What gifts does He want from us? What gifts are fit for the
King? To answer that question, let's go back to that first Christmas
to see what gifts Jesus received that first Christmas night.
Jesus received the gift of trust, found in the life of Mary, a young
teenage girl who was engaged to Joseph. An angel appeared to Mary,
telling her that she would bear a son called Jesus. She could not
possibly have understood what the angel was saying, but she knew the
One who sent him, and that was enough. Trust is a gift fit for a king.
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own
understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your
paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
Jesus received the gift of obedience, found in the life of Joseph who
was betrothed to Mary. In Jesus' day, a betrothal was legally binding.
During the engagement, Mary became pregnant - and Joseph was not the
father. His first reaction was to quietly divorce her but an angel
delivered a message from God, "Keep her but do not sleep with her!"
Joseph's response could have been many things, but the response he
chose was obedience.
"If you love me, you will obey what I command."
John 14:15
Obedience is the choice to do what God wants us to do; not just an
outward motion but an inner attitude. Father and son were on a mission
- to find an ice cream cone. Scrambling into the front seat, the
little boy stood beside his father, jumping up and down and yelling, "Ice
cream! Ice cream! Ice cream!" Before starting the car, the dad sat
his son down and told him to buckle his seatbelt. The little boy
stared at his father in rebellious silence. The determined father stared right
back and finally said, "Son, we are not going anywhere until you sit
down and buckle your seatbelt." Admitting defeat, the little boy sat
down and buckled his seat belt, but through gritted teeth announced, "I
may be sitting down on the outside, but I'm still standing up on the
inside." Obedience is an inside job, a heart issue and is a gift fit
for the king!
Jesus received the gift of praise, found in the life of the shepherds
to whom the angels announced the good news of Jesus' birth. After seeing
baby Jesus, they went on their own way praising God! Praise is a
continual choice that we make again and again, until it becomes a
habit. Don't allow anyone or any circumstance to steal your joy or keep you
from praising God! Praise keeps us kneeling before the manger and is a
gift fit for the King.
Psalm 50:6 "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."
Jesus received the gift of sacrifice, found in the lives of the wise
men that came, bringing costly gifts. The wise men understood that worship always involves sacrifice. They brought gold, a precious metal, incense, a rare and costly product used in worship, and myrrh, an extravagant perfume like the one Mary used to
wash the feet of Jesus.
"And I was a constant example to you in helping the poor; for I
remembered the words of the Lord Jesus, 'It is more blessed to give
than to receive.'" Acts 20:35
Sacrifice goes beyond what is required or expected. The best gift, the
most precious gift should go to the One whose birthday we celebrate.
This year, give a sacrificial gift in His name, a gift like trust,
obedience, praise and sacrifice. In other words, the best Christmas
gift we can give Jesus Christ is ourselves. The children's song says
it beautifully:
"I'm gonna wrap up myself for Christmas
And tie me with a big red bow.
That's what I'm giving to Jesus.
It's a present He'll like I know."
To have a Christ-Centered Christmas we must receive the gift of Jesus
and then give ourselves to Him.
My prayer for today:
Happy birthday, Jesus! I celebrate your birth and your life. Thank
you for coming to earth as a baby, bringing life and hope to us all. I
surrender to you. May each day be a celebration of Who you are in my
life. In your name, I pray. Amen.
Application steps:
Have you ever given yourself to Jesus Christ? If not, right now, turn
your life over to Him, knowing that He will transform it into more than
you could ever dream. In your journal, record today's date and the
step of obedience you just took. Then celebrate by baking a birthday cake
for Jesus. Invite your family and friends, neighbors and strangers to
join you in honoring the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Reflection point:
What gifts have you given in past years, thinking they were gifts to
God when, in reality, they were tokens of a broken life?
What gifts have you received from Him this year? What have you done
with them?
What will you give Him this year?
Power verses:
Luke 6:38 "Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.
For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (NIV)
Luke 14:33 "Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be
my disciple." (NIV)
Acts 20:35 "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (NIV)
* Copyright © 2004 Salem Web Network and its Content Providers. All rights reserved.
Content from Lil' Ms Snooze
