Remember the Meaning
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”
2 Peter 1:8–10
I read a rather humorous story of a man who was quite surprised to see his neighbor leave the house in full football gear—pads and helmet. He called out, “Jim, I didn’t know you played football.” Jim replied, “I don’t. I’m going to the mall to do my Christmas shopping!” There are a lot of people who get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas that they lose out on the joy and meaning that makes the celebration of Christ’s birth so meaningful. And while it is true that most of those who miss the purpose of Christmas do so because they have not received the gift the Saviour came to offer, it is very possible for Christians to miss any spiritual value in the holiday.
We are not immune from the peril of forgetting what God has done for us just because we are saved. In fact the longer we have been saved, the more danger we face of taking God’s great grace and mercy shown to us so clearly that first Christmas for granted. The stunning story of angels and shepherds, a baby in a manager, and wise men traveling to bring gifts to the newborn king are so familiar to us that we no longer stop to rejoice in what God has done. If our focus is where it should be, the stories we’ve heard hundreds of times before will still be fresh and new to us.
2 Peter 1:8–10
I read a rather humorous story of a man who was quite surprised to see his neighbor leave the house in full football gear—pads and helmet. He called out, “Jim, I didn’t know you played football.” Jim replied, “I don’t. I’m going to the mall to do my Christmas shopping!” There are a lot of people who get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas that they lose out on the joy and meaning that makes the celebration of Christ’s birth so meaningful. And while it is true that most of those who miss the purpose of Christmas do so because they have not received the gift the Saviour came to offer, it is very possible for Christians to miss any spiritual value in the holiday.
We are not immune from the peril of forgetting what God has done for us just because we are saved. In fact the longer we have been saved, the more danger we face of taking God’s great grace and mercy shown to us so clearly that first Christmas for granted. The stunning story of angels and shepherds, a baby in a manager, and wise men traveling to bring gifts to the newborn king are so familiar to us that we no longer stop to rejoice in what God has done. If our focus is where it should be, the stories we’ve heard hundreds of times before will still be fresh and new to us.
Today’s Growth Principle:
If we keep our focus on what truly matters, we will not have a hectic and harried holiday season.
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