Greetings in Christ,
All the gifts have been given and received in this past Christmas season. The newness and joy of the gifts is still there, and hopefully they have not broken and find their usefulness. Plans for the gifts have been made and implemented as they are put into use. They will serve their purpose for the duration of their time, at least the hopes of many who received them. But what is next?
We anticipated the gifts we received and even were excited when we received them as gifts as we move forward using them for their intended purpose. We want to use them as they were intended, but we may never utilize them to their full capabilities, however somewhere along the line the gifts will lose their appeal as we set them on a shelf, in a closet, or in storage only to be remembered in our minds.
We as humans have the tendency to get excited about things for the moment and then the excitement seems to fade away as time moves forward. We forget the real reason we wanted the gift in the first place. It is easy to do, and we all do it for one reason or another. If we want the excitement to continue, we must generate that excitement, and that sometimes is more work than we desire to muster.
We even have the tendency to let the same practice carry over in our spiritual lives as we let the gift of Jesus lose its appeal and excitement. We let that excitement fall away as we move forward in time with the things of life coming towards us feeling like we have the burdens of the world on our shoulders. The burdens of life drag us away from the gift of Jesus forgetting He has been down the same path we find ourselves traveling whether be joyous or troubling.
The author of Hebrews writes these words, “Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”
It is easy to let the excitement of Jesus fall away forgetting Jesus is the one true gift. We have a tendency as humans to want to fix our own problems and in doing so we mess things up more. The key to keeping the excitement of Jesus in our lives is to give Him praise for what He has done for us instead of regret for what we think He has not done for us by focusing on the positive casting out the negative. By dwelling on the positive we allow the strength of Jesus to work in our lives, and by doing so we implement His gift to its full potential in our lives.
Let’s keep His gift appealing and exciting in our lives.
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:1-3
“O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear the Lord, you His saints; for to those who fear Him, there is no want.” Psalm 34:8-9
“The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved. Thy throne is established from of old; Thou art from everlasting.” Psalm 93:1-2
Lord may we keep Your gift appealing and exciting to us. May we call on Your name for our strength and give You the praise You so deserve. Amen
Blessings,