2 Corinthians 9:15
Thoughts from Chad Smith
Dive Deeper
“Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift.”
2 Corinthians 9:15
Behind the Scenes
First, MERRY CHRISTMAS! What a wonderful day to celebrate with the family of Christ. Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift! What a joy to celebrate another year in remembrance of Jesus’ birth.
I know for me, it’s easy to get lost in the bustle, the shopping, cooking, hosting and presents. It’s easy to become consumed with everything tangible in front of us. We can taste the cookies, hug our family, open the gifts, and that’s what the season ultimately becomes. It becomes a season pleasing to all five of our senses, yet on the other hand, it also brings awareness of what we don’t have. We miss our family far away, we wish we had more money to spend on gifts, etc. We become entranced in the tangible aspects, and it’s easy to forget what the most amazing part of all of it really means. And I know…we hear this all the time; “Jesus is the reason for the season”, and we hear it so much that we lose sight of what that means.
Josh spoke a message last week about The Ghost of Christmas Future. He talked about how hope for the future can get us through anything we go through in the present. No matter what trial we face, if we hold onto hope that one day, suffering will end, we will be able to face the most difficult challenges. It’s when we lose sight of that hope that we drown in the present.
It’s the same with Christmas. If only we could truly grasp the inexpressible gift given to us through Jesus’ birth, we would not worry about neglected tasks, better presents, or even our family. If only we could truly grasp the amazing gift symbolized on this day, our joy would be overwhelming! We wouldn’t be able to contain it. We wouldn’t think about the things in front of us or not in front of us.
This isn’t to say we shouldn’t enjoy the season. Enjoy the cookies! Enjoy the hosting, the presents, and the eggnog, if that’s what you’re into. So often, we try to force ourselves to be grateful, yet if we truly understood, we wouldn’t need to force it. It would be a natural overflow of gratitude that we would be incapable of containing.
Make it Real
If you’re stressed, then you may be missing the point of Christmas. I’ve been really challenged with that this year! I’ve been more intentional about spending time in prayer in the mornings so that I can remember what I live for before going about my day. When I do that, I am more motivated to get tasks done so that I can take a moment to just relax and soak in the important things. When I spend time with Him, His peace fills my heart and there is no room for stress or anxiety.
On this Christmas morning, quiet your heart for a moment. Ask God to speak to you about what this inexpressible gift means for your life. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you so that you can be overwhelmed with His gift to you, today. Don’t be hard on yourself if this doesn’t come naturally. He is full of Grace and is just waiting to open our eyes when we’re ready. Again, Merry Christmas, everyone! Thank you, Jesus!
Ali Bair
ACF Devo Team
End in Prayer
“God, thank You for Your gift to me. Thank you for sending Your Son to this earth so that I can be free from all of my sin. I pray that you would reveal yourself to me today so that I can better understand what this means for me. Come into my heart today so that I can truly understand the greatest gift of all. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for this inexpressible gift!”