Whose Birthday are We Celebrating?

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

“Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues.” Brother Lawrence

 

Whose Birthday are We Celebrating?

Christmas is right around the corner! You’re almost to the finish line, mama! So how is your Christmas going, sweet friend? Are you feeling stressed by all the preparations and demands on your time? Is the thought of traveling or hosting family beginning to cause you anxiety? Do you feel hopeful this wonderful Christmas season or just plain stressed out?

Why does Christmas, the season where we celebrate the birth of our loving Savior, sometimes make us crabby and grouchy? Why do we seem to get annoyed with family members at a time when we should be showing them the most love? Why do we easily engage in conflict over our wants and desires?

Perhaps the answer lies in adjusting our expectations and dreams of how we want our Christmas to look and feel. After all, it is Jesus’ birthday, not ours! When we think of celebrating Christmas in the light of the desires of Jesus’ heart for His children, it changes everything! We begin to shift the focus away from ourselves and onto Christ and surrender our will to His. This one change in our thinking can revolutionize this time of year for our families and deepen our relationships with the Lord and with others.

So how would Jesus want us to celebrate His birthday? This is a great question to ask. Just like we spend time pondering and thinking about how to make our children’s birthdays special, we should do the same for the birthday of our Savior. Soon, we celebrate the birth of Jesus! Below is a little list of the highlights of how Jesus would probably like His birthday celebrated:

  1. Spend time with Jesus and tell Him how much you love and appreciate Him. Sing a little worship song to Him today (Psalm 96:1).
  2. Read some of His love letter to us. Jesus wrote a beautiful love letter for us and He wants us to read it (Matthew 4:4)!
  3. Love one another. Do your best today to love the people Jesus brings across your path (John 13:34).
  4. Remember the poor. Be generous with the blessings God has given you (Proverbs 19:17).
  5. Forgive and forget. Jesus forgave us immensely, and we are called to do the same (Ephesians 4:32).
  6. Laugh with those who laugh and mourn with those who mourn. Be happy with the people in your lives who are happy, but don’t forget to remember those who are hurting. Do something nice for them today (Romans 12:15).
  7. Focus on others. We are always happier when we think about what other people want instead of just ourselves. God made our hearts to work that way (Philippians 2:4).
  8. Ask Jesus to fill you up with His joy and love for people. Pray and ask Him to help you love them well (John 15:12)!

I pray you have a wonderful Christmas! Happy Birthday, Jesus! We love you!

Blessings and Love,

Deb

Questions to Ponder

How’s your heart, dear Mama? Remember that Jesus is with you. He longs for you to come to Him with your burdens and let Him care for you. Take a moment and journal some questions for the Lord today:

  • Do you have any unrealistic expectations for the perfect Christmas? What does He want you to let go of and where do you need to relinquish control to Him?
  • Are you frustrated or hurt by someone? Write a prayer and tell the Lord all about it. Then let it go and forgive them. Jesus gave His forgiveness to you; we need to extend that same grace and love to others too.
  • Pray and ask Jesus for wisdom and help with your final Christmas preparations and ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit and joy every moment this Christmas.
  • Ask Jesus to open the eyes of your heart to see your sweet husband and precious children’s hearts and to fill you with His love for them. Pray for God to remind you that your days on this earth will fly by and to “teach you to number your days. That you may gain a heart of wisdom,” (Psalm 90:12).

Faith-Filled Ideas

What can you do this week to show the hope and love of Jesus to your world?

What can you do for others to show them the love of Jesus this week? Do you know a family who is struggling? How about a single mom? Can you offer to take her kids so she can finish up her Christmas shopping, or can you make a simple, inexpensive gift basket for a family and drop it off as a surprise on their front porch? Or how about a grocery store gift card so they can plan a special meal for their family? Your kids will LOVE to be a part of this!

Be sure to pray for this family, and let your kids join in too! A good way to remember to pray is to have one member of your family pray a simple prayer for the family you chose to bless every time you get into your car until December 25th. Who knows how God will choose to answer these prayers! He always does much more than we could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

Deb Weakly

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