I can’t believe its that time of year again. I have already started prepping for decorating. See, I live in a tiny place, so if I want to decorate I need to store things away to make room for Christmas decorations. This year I want to go all out. Not just the tree and manger, but all my Christmas knickknacks gathered down through the years. So many memories tied up in those items. I haven’t been able to do it for the past few years, so I’m looking forward to it.

I really enjoy Christmas. It’s a special time of year; a beginning of sorts. To think that God loved me so much that He sent Jesus to us in the form of a tiny baby boy, so He could grow up and save the world.

I wonder what thoughts Mary and Joseph had when they looked at Him. They didn’t know how He would save them, but they did accept that He was the Messiah, the Son of God; come to redeem them.

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Galatians 4:4-5

This is what we celebrate. The birth of our Savior. The rest is just fun decorating and giving gifts to others. As we celebrate His birth, is that the only thing we do with Him? Happy birthday Jesus?

We put so much effort into celebrating His birth. Both kids and adults put on plays about it. But do we follow through on His birth? Have we accepted the sacrifice and death He went on to go through for us? Did you make His birth worthwhile? You do realize that if you were the only human on this planet needing salvation, He would have still died for you.

For the Son of Man has come to save

that which was lost.

Matthew 18:11

In your own life, do you keep Jesus in the manger, as a baby to just think about at Christmas? Or have you entered into a relationship with Him, based on His sacrificial death and resurrection?

If you say you have that saving relationship with Jesus, are you producing fruit? Are you growing in grace? Is your life reflecting that relationship? If not, then for you, His coming, His birth was in vain.

For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:8

Are you growing? Once saved, we should be developing as a believer; growing in wisdom and knowledge about God and His word. Does your outward life show change and growth? It needs to, otherwise our faith becomes stagnant and that isn’t good.

But be doers of the word,

and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 1:22

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And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;

1 Corinthians 3:1-2

Our faith should be a living, breathing, active faith, constantly growing. We should be having intimacy with Jesus like with no one else. This is the relationship we need. We should be striving for it every day.

Humanly, nothing we could think of can compare to the sacrifice and death that Jesus went through for us, for the whole world. His birth started that chain of events. What you do with that little baby boy in the manger decides your eternity.

How then shall they call on Him

in whom they have not believed?

Romans 10:14a

Merry Christmas,

Brenda

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