December 1 has arrived.
Whether you’re like my husband who thinks it’s acceptable to begin listening to Christmas music in early November, or more like me who thinks it’s ridiculous to begin any Christmas shenanigans until the day after Thanksgiving, I think we can all agree that the arrival of December 1 means full on Christmas Craziness.
As we prepare for Christmas– decorating, gift buying, wrapping, holiday parties and more, I’m always struck with the irony that though I logistically prepare for the holiday cheer, I rarely am reflective enough on what Christmas truly means– the birth of our Savior.
The birth of a baby boy
We know it’s important, this virgin birth. We celebrate the moment of Jesus leaving his all-powerful, ever-present, eternal existence to the confines of a human body, an infant at that. We know that’s the “reason for the season” but usually my mind stops there.
Born to die
You may have heard that before– Jesus was born to die. And while that is fully true, He was also born to be raised from the dead. He was born to have a ministry that forever, truly forever, impacted our world.
I recently heard a song that left me on the floor.
The Work of Christmas
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music from the heart.
-The Work of Christmas, Dan Forrest
The real work of Christmas, the real meaning of Christmas isn’t baby Jesus’ birth, it’s His legacy. The real work of Christmas is raising the dead to life, healing the broken hearted, bringing God’s kingdom to this hurting world.
The real work of Christmas is up to you and me.
As Jesus reigns on high and His Spirit resides in us, you and I are to be his hands and feet. By His power, we are to find the lost, bring healing to the broken, feed the hungry, release the prisoner, rebuild the nations, bring peace to relationships, and bring joy to the world. So as we prepare for the logistics of the holiday season, let’s not forget: It’s up to us to display the real work of Christmas, the real reason for the birth of Jesus.
So this December, how will you be His hands and feet? How will you embody the real work of Christmas?