Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
--Psalm 51:12
If you’re not really happy with your life today, maybe you think a change would be good.
So many of us fall into the trap of thinking that changing our jobs, changing our appearance, or changing our environment will make us happy. But it just isn’t true!
All of these external changes may temporarily improve your life but none of them can change your life. None can make you truly happy. You may move around. You may change cars. You may even change jobs. But you know what? Wherever you go, it’s the same old you, right?
It’s not that your circumstances or your surroundings need to change. It’s your heart that needs to change. It’s your heart that needs a new birth.
The Bible is pretty clear when it talks about our hearts. In Jeremiah 17:9, it says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick.” The heart, according to the Bible, is not good!
Which means your heart needs a spiritual change. I’m not talking about a resolution—promising to be better, do better, or live better. I’m talking about a revolution!
It’s something so radical, so dramatic, that it’s like beginning life all over again! It’s a new beginning! It’s an inward change! Your heart undergoes a spiritual transformation when God takes it and transplants it with His love and His heart.
So my challenge to you today is to let God transform your heart. Realize that no external change can truly make you joyful or fulfilled. Only a heart transformed by God will. So let Him create a new beginning in you today!
Ask God to restore the joy of your heart today.
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”
Luke 2:8–10
Maybe you’ve seen the Peanuts cartoon where Lucy comes in and says to Charlie Brown, “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown. `Tis the season of peace on earth and good will toward men. Therefore, I suggest we forget all our differences and love one another.” Charlie Brown, whose face lights up at this, replies, “That’s wonderful, Lucy. I’m so glad you said that. But tell me, do we have to love each other only at this season of the year? Why can’t we love each other all year long?” To which Lucy retorts, “What are you, a fanatic or something?”
The message of Christmas is not one that is appreciated by much of our society today. Those who love the truth of Christmas are often regarded as crazy or fanatics. Some people go to great lengths to avoid even using the word “Christmas” so as to not have to deal with the real meaning of this special time of year. But the message first brought by the angels to the shepherds—and then shared by the shepherds with everyone they could find—is true, and it is meant for the whole world. It is not just a message that applies once a year in December, but every single day.
The angel who announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds brought the message that Christ’s birth was “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (emphasis added). It falls to those of us who have heard and received that message to share it with the rest of the world.
Today’s Growth Principle:
The message of Christmas is not for us to keep for ourselves, but to share with others all year long.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment