Thought for the Week - 13th December 2015
Lloyd HopkinJohn 1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
James 4:7-8
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Christmas is upon us and while it’s supposed to be about peace in earth and goodwill to all men, many of us spend it rushing around, getting angry at other people! The devil is clever at filling something that should be all about Christ, with everything but Christ.
Christmas can be busy and stressful. We need to be careful as Christians not to lose our peace. People can be lonely and sad and temptations can often get stronger. There is also a risk that we go off the boil, and if we don’t put it right quickly, it can take us a long time to get back to where we were in Christ. We need to be vigilant. We need to remind ourselves that it’s a hard time of year and work out what we need to do to stay close to Christ.
Entering into what Christmas is for you:
In John 1:1-5, we see that the only good that is in us comes from Jesus. We need to open ourselves to that light: whatever darkness we face and might be within us, we need to allow that light of Christ to shine in. He defeats the darkness. Where there is light, there cannot be dark!
Fighting the things that would get in our way
The way that we beat the things we face is the same way we came to Christ: recognising there is no good in us and by giving ourselves to Him and His will and letting that light in. James tells us that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. So many of our problems are caused because we do not do that. There is peace and there is hope for us. There is a hope for you.
That is also the story of Christmas: in the darkness of the world we lived, our only hope was born to save us.
Never forget that someone as important as Christ, came for you. He brought to you a joy that is yours by right. Obey Him in the big and the small things, and draw near to Him.
Don’t forget Him this Christmas.