Fighting for Joy During the Holidays
Fighting for Joy During the Holidays
The fight for joy for a follower of Christ is never-ending. In our recent sermon on Romans 5:1-11, we looked at how one of the weapons we use to fight for joy is consistently reminding ourselves of what is true for those who have saving faith in Christ. We “preach the gospel” to ourselves daily, remembering that we have been forgiven, made righteous, adopted into the family of God, and given a future eternity with the Lord. There are plenty of other weapons we can use in this fight for joy as well, ones that we may easily overlook.
The Bible teaches that the ultimate way the Lord has revealed himself is through Christ (often referred to as “special revelation” by theologians). However, he has also revealed himself through various aspects of his creation as well (often referred to as “general revelation” as well). For instance, through our God-given five senses we can look at a sunrise or smell a flower or enjoy a cup of coffee or have a conversation with a friend or listen to music. All of these things are good things of God’s creation that can help us to be joyful and to remember that we have a good Father.
The holiday season, despite its unique challenges, can also offer unique opportunities to help us in the fight for joy. Despite the obvious opportunity to reflect on Christ’s coming through Advent, there are also more commonplace, everyday opportunities as well. I am joyful when playing “Dirty Santa” with my small group; I am joyful when I look at the ornaments made by our kids hanging on the tree; I am joyful when I eat my mom’s eggnog French toast on Christmas morning; I am joyful while playing whatever goofy game Tim Wilson leads us through at the Christmas banquet; I am joyful to be with those who gather at our Christmas Eve service; I am joyful for the friends and family we have over to drink hot chocolate around a fire in our backyard. These are good things, and they are gifts given by the Father, who is the Giver of all good things (James 1:17).
While the ultimate weapon in our fight for joy is Christ coming to die and be raised again on our behalf, may we not overlook the more commonplace things that the Lord has also provided to help us find joy. And may we learn to use the unique opportunities of the holiday season to do that.
The fight for joy for a follower of Christ is never-ending. In our recent sermon on Romans 5:1-11, we looked at how one of the weapons we use to fight for joy is consistently reminding ourselves of what is true for those who have saving faith in Christ. We “preach the gospel” to ourselves daily, remembering that we have been forgiven, made righteous, adopted into the family of God, and given a future eternity with the Lord. There are plenty of other weapons we can use in this fight for joy as well, ones that we may easily overlook.
The Bible teaches that the ultimate way the Lord has revealed himself is through Christ (often referred to as “special revelation” by theologians). However, he has also revealed himself through various aspects of his creation as well (often referred to as “general revelation” as well). For instance, through our God-given five senses we can look at a sunrise or smell a flower or enjoy a cup of coffee or have a conversation with a friend or listen to music. All of these things are good things of God’s creation that can help us to be joyful and to remember that we have a good Father.
The holiday season, despite its unique challenges, can also offer unique opportunities to help us in the fight for joy. Despite the obvious opportunity to reflect on Christ’s coming through Advent, there are also more commonplace, everyday opportunities as well. I am joyful when playing “Dirty Santa” with my small group; I am joyful when I look at the ornaments made by our kids hanging on the tree; I am joyful when I eat my mom’s eggnog French toast on Christmas morning; I am joyful while playing whatever goofy game Tim Wilson leads us through at the Christmas banquet; I am joyful to be with those who gather at our Christmas Eve service; I am joyful for the friends and family we have over to drink hot chocolate around a fire in our backyard. These are good things, and they are gifts given by the Father, who is the Giver of all good things (James 1:17).
While the ultimate weapon in our fight for joy is Christ coming to die and be raised again on our behalf, may we not overlook the more commonplace things that the Lord has also provided to help us find joy. And may we learn to use the unique opportunities of the holiday season to do that.
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