Thanksgiving and Christmas will soon be here! It’s an exciting time, and I’m thrilled as always to celebrate God’s goodness to us by sending Jesus to our rescue! This is “good news”!
“As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.” Proverbs 26:25 KJV
Most of us need to hear some good news right now. Times are tough! We don’t know what the immediate future brings, but we can have hope for our future. The Bible tells us God has a plan!
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3
God sent Jesus to take our punishment for our sin. We are forgiven, and our sin is covered by the shed blood of Jesus who died in our place. This holiday season we give thanks for our blessings, but our greatest blessing is the sacrifice Jesus made for us.
Yet there are some in our circle of friends who do not know Jesus personally. They do not have the joy of salvation from the punishment for sin and the promise of a future home in Heaven with Him. Christmas, for many, is all about gatherings and gifts. The love of Jesus is missing.
I am conscious of others who stay in the background, observing life, but not participating. Fear of rejection holds them back. I recognize they must be feeling so alone, wanting to participate, but not sure how to go about it. Now is the time to introduce your unsaved friends to Jesus. Invite them to your home for Christmas dinner. Read the Christmas story. Make sure to provide a gift for your friend. Let them see how Christians love each other and love Jesus. Christmas provides a lovely way to introduce unsaved friends to Jesus. They may not be ready to hear the message, but you can demonstrate the love of Jesus to them.
Holidays can be especially depressing if friends are busy with their own plans or they go away to be with extended family. “Stuck with your own company” is a good way to describe the feeling. Yet, you don’t have to continue feeling that you just don’t fit into anyone’s plan! Make your own holiday plans. Invite neighbors who are alone to join you for a meal. Attend a Church service. In the process you earn the right of friendship to tell them why you celebrate Christmas.
When you get the Christmas blues, realize you are special to our Lord. While others are busy with their plans, remember you are special to Jesus. He has a perfect plan for you! He sent His Son Jesus to be your Savior. All you have to do is ask Him to change you and He will. If you don’t know how or where to start, begin with sharing your heartfelt worries, fears, and dread of being alone.
If you have a friend who does not know Jesus as Savior and Lord, reach out to that friend. Then go through the process of explaining the plan of salvation. Use these basic steps to tell someone how they can receive the greatest gift ever!
- Confess your sin.
- Ask Him to save you from the penalty of sin.
- Choose to turn from away from sin.
- Thank Him for saving you. Trust that now you belong to Him.
- Tell someone about your decision to trust Jesus.
The birth of Jesus, the Savior of the World is the best Christmas gift anyone could receive!
