You can catch my quick word every Tuesday morning, just after six, on New Zealand's Rhema
I was trying to organise dinner with a friend this week and
I think we’ve found a day we are both free - in March 2013! What is it about this time of year that
makes us all so busy? I know it’s
mostly end of year functions and work Christmas parties and holidays and gift
shopping, but don’t you think it is funny that at the time of year when we
should be reflecting on the incarnation of God - peace, joy and goodwill to all
- we hardly have a moment free?!
Every Christmas I tell myself I’m going to think about the
‘reason behind the season’ more.
That I’m not going to let gift lists and social events crowd out time to
pray in wonder at the fact that God came to earth, entrusted himself to us and
started the path of our redemption.
But, as often as not, all that other stuff - Christmas cards and summer
holiday preparations - seem to consume my time. So this year I realised – it’s not enough to just say that I
want to have Christ at the centre of my Christmas, I have to do something to
enable that. So, between now and
Christmas day, I’m going to slowly work my way through the Christmas story as
told in Matthew, taking time to reflect on a verse or two a day, slowly
proceeding towards the birth of Christ himself just in time for the day on
which we celebrate it.
If you struggle too to remember God’s greatest miracle,
coming here to dwell as one of us, maybe you could use this month to do
something intentional about it. It could be something as simple as putting your
bible in a special place for the month, allowing it to get as much attention in
the room as your Christmas tree.
As for me, I’ve started my month of reflection with these
words from Matthew 1;
“This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary,
was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while
she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy
Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her
publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.”
- Matthew
1 v 18 – 19
Who would have guessed where that story would lead – to the
salvation of you and me.
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