Have you noticed or experienced how Christmas seems to tap into the soul’s emptiness for many, if not all of us?
We are living in troubled times, world-wide! Something happened to our nation’s thinking facility because, partly, of what happened in Newtown, Connecticut. We all saw and heard encouraging stories of compassion pouring out to the families of children that were slain by a mass murderer. As appreciative as the families were of the support, I know you know that the parents, families and their friends had a profound emptiness that made Christmas seem hollow. I felt that over twenty-seven years ago when my father died. I thought, “Will there ever be a new normal where joy to the world is meaningful again?”
In my counseling work, Christmas is the time of year where those who’ve encountered broken marriages and homes have a hard time making sense of faith and the Christmas story. I don’t mean intellectually, but in an emotional, painful way. Then there are those who have not. They want so bad to be able to give something to loved ones that can say “You are worthy and I’m glad to have you in my life.” There are more inexpensive products on the shelf for us to buy so we could do that, but then, it seemed like the prices weren’t low enough and a cloud of sadness still prevailed over many.
Religious talk doesn’t get the job done if what we want is to feel full again. You know – to be alive! James said to believers “… it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is not faith at all—it is dead and useless.” James 2:17, “We’re all looking for a connection and a fullness that only Jesus can supply but he wants believers to express their good deeds as evidence,.” Faith generates good works, not good works which generate faith.
Think about it, if we have faith but never do anything with it, what exactly are we doing? God is a person, He is personal, and He deals with us personally. As a result, faith in God must be personal and it must be mobilized, put it into motion. Your parents’ faith isn’t enough when you find yourself in a cave, trapped, like David was in 1 Samuel 22. Your wife’s faith is good for her, but it won’t get you through dark, difficult trials. You must know God personally through personal repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. And you must know personally how to call upon Him when you feel trapped, lonely, and under the weight of seemingly overwhelming trials. Maybe rather than moan and sigh about our circumstances, we can also believe, as Don Moen wrote, “God will make a way, Where there seems to be no way, He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me. He will be my guide, Hold me closely to His side, With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way.”
Matthew 16:24-25, “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Did you get that? He said, “Follow me.” Not follow them who say they follow Jesus, but follow Jesus. Not follow well spoken people on Facebook or YouTube, but follow Jesus Christ and Christ alone.
I’m talking about filling the emptiness in your life, denying yourself the opportunity for whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away your relish of spiritual things. In short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your flesh over your spirit, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself.
That is the definition of sin, and although it can all be just so, much, fun … it is destructive. Taking up the cross is not only excepting the difficult times of Christianity, it is also receiving every benefit as well. Taking up your cross precedes life.
I applaud anyone out there in our world making a difference for the better. Ann Curry, a CBS News correspondent asked, “What can I do after the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre?” She came up with an idea that went viral. Perform 26 acts of kindness in honor of those who died at the school. That is something which embraces emptiness, and inspires the substance of hope and meaningfulness to happen … and it came out of Ann Curry’s heart.
I think that’s the method of operation Jesus is about. He embraces the emptiness in our lives due to sin in this world, to come up with the one act of kindness where anyone can have a relationship with Him. And in our souls, we can still be full, even when we have a hard time with the idea of Christmas due to so much pain. Only Jesus can appropriately fill our hearts through his birth and resurrection from death on a cross. Without that, nothing makes sense or ever will in my view. Hope is kept alive because He is alive!
i’m Social Porter for Living In His Name Ministries.