“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”
2 Corinthians 4:7–10
I read that years ago the giant British retail chain Tesco placed an advertisement for seasonal help during the Christmas season. They were not looking for greeters, or stock people, or checkout clerks. Instead, they wanted people who would help untangle their massive quantity of Christmas lights. The ad specified that the people they were looking for had to be “passionate about Christmas” and be able to “untangle three meters of Christmas lights in under three minutes.”
Though Christmas is a joyous season, it is also a time of great stress for many people. There are financial pressures, family ruptures, time crunches, long lines, backed up traffic at stores, and many other worries that can easily tangle up our lives and make Christmas a time of defeat and hassle, instead of joy and celebration. Too many people go through the holidays like Ebenezer Scrooge before he learned the importance of Christmas instead of like Tiny Tim. The key to avoid becoming tangled up is found in our source of power.
The Christian life cannot be lived in our own strength. The power for successful living can only come from God. And when we have that power, it does not matter if we are troubled, perplexed, persecuted, or cast down. We will still be at peace. We will not be distressed, in despair, forsaken, or destroyed. This is the key to peaceful living not only during the holidays, but every day of the year. Rest in God’s strength rather than your own.
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