As I sit down to write this blog, I look around and consider the haphazard state of my home--and my life! At first glance the Christmas tree looks beautiful, but if you look closely, you'll notice the pre-lit promise from two years ago didn't uphold its end of the bargain. For the entire month of December (until just this past week), we had a half lit tree that would be lucky to fall into the Charlie Brown category. Now we have lights from Dollar General draped over the burnt out ones and really--if you stay at a distance and don't pay too much attention to the leaning star at the top--it looks quite nice.
Under the tree there are not many gifts--it's December 21st and while I feel guilty on the inside that my children have no gifts under there yet (don't worry, they are hidden upstairs--draped over with t-shirts in the back of my husband's closet), I simply have not had the energy after they go to bed to get them wrapped.
My house is literally in shambles. There are mountains of piles of junk everywhere. Quite literally you would be fortunate to find two square feet of clear space on any counter or floor area. Upstairs is worse. I need to make a sign at the bottom of the steps--DANGER! ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK! I thank God for such a wonderful babysitter who helps me beyond measure or you literally would not be able to find the sink or the laundry room!
I guess what I'm saying is that if you are judging my Christmas season by what our culture says is a success--I am a major fail. I tell you this because on the inside I am tempted to lean that way: Yes, I am a major fail. As a mom, as a wife, as a home maker and so on. But as I look back to my last blog and consider my prayers through this Advent season, I find much reason to rejoice and recognize I must pray against the enemy's attempts at stealing my joy. Someone recently mentioned that comparison is the thief of joy. And so if I compare my house, my gift wrapping, my all together NOT altogether-ness...then yes, I would have no joy.
So tonight I must pray that my joy will not be found in the fleeting things of this world. I must pray again--Lord, let me find my joy in you.
Brian had an opportunity to listen to Alistair Begg speak last weekend. If you've never heard him speak, you really must check him out at truthforlife.org. It is more than worth your time. He spoke about our inability to understand and appreciate Christmas without also understanding and appreciating Easter. We can't truly celebrate the birth of Christ without understanding why He came and the gravity of what his coming means for our souls. After all--that is what Advent means: COMING.
I was most stunned by the illustration of the three wise men and their gifts. We all know the song, we all know what they brought: gold, frankincense and myrrh. But do you really know what each of them are--what they pointed to? The gold and frankincense make sense--they are fit for a baby who will be king. For a baby who will be THE KING.
But myrrh?
Myrrh, you see, is used for pain or for embalming a body. Pastor Begg raised the question: how is this appropriate for a baby? And he went on to explain that this gift of myrrh--was incredibly appropriate--in fact, it was "offensively appropriate." You see, even in the first gifts that baby Jesus received, God was already pointing to the cross--to the pain and ultimately, TO THE RESURRECTION.
Our culture celebrates Christmas this time of year, but so much has been forgotten of the Christ.
But when I stop to think about what Christmas really is--that the God of the universe sent His son (who was also fully God) down to earth to take on human nature (he became fully man) so that He could die the death I deserve, I am overJOYED.
Sadly, John 3:16 has become borderline cliche in our culture these days. People know it and yet they don't KNOW it--in their hearts, that is...
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Can you believe that!? I do! With all my heart. If I confess my brokenness and believe in Jesus and what He did for me on the cross, I can spend forever with Him in eternity.
So do you believe in Him, dear reader? Not do you believe He existed. But do you recognize in your deepest core your NEED for Him? Have you told Him so? Have you confessed your brokenness? Have you asked for His forgiveness? Have you asked Him to take over your life?
If not, what's stopping you?
Because I can tell you this with certainty--if you have not, you cannot experience the true JOY of Christmas.
But if you have, you can experience a new joy. A real joy. A genuine--fill you up and overflow your cup kind of joy. An eternal joy.
So I will leave you with this: a prayer from the Advent book our church published for this Christmas season. Allow it to get you started...
Dear God, I want to accept the gift of your son. Please forgive me of all the things I have done wrong. I trust in Jesus to rescue me from all my failings by the means of his perfect life, substitutional death, and powerful resurrection. Amen.
Praying for you right this minute as I write these words--may you find your JOY in Him this CHRISTmas.