It’s Christmas, and hope is all around us. Children are hoping for presents to surround the tree and overflow their stockings on Christmas morning. Many are hoping for snow to make it a white Christmas. And so many are hoping that their budgets will hold out and the time won’t slip away before they have done everything they plan to make it a perfect Christmas.
How easy it is to watch the Christmas specials, see the lights and hear the sounds of the season and not look beyond ourselves this time of the year. For while many plan their perfect celebrations, many more wonder if they’ll have a meal, let alone gifts for those they love. Others face this time of year alone for the first time after the loss of someone they love or missing someone who is serving in the military thousands of miles away. For them Christmas hope is hard to find.
Hopelessness is not new to our times, nor to this time of the year. Thousands of years ago people were without hope. They were under the rule of kings who treated them unfairly and had no hope of being freed from all that surrounded them. Most had turned from God and the future looked bleak.
One night in Bethlehem changed all of that. Jesus left His perfect Heaven and chose to come to earth as a man. He was born as an infant and lived a perfect, sinless life, then gave up that life to die for our sins. He made the sacrifice of His life so that we can have the hope of Heaven and eternal life with Him. All we need to do is ask Him to forgive our sins and become the leader of our life. It’s simple, but life changing. As the days tick down towards Christmas morning, if you know the hope of Jesus I encourage you to do your best to emulate His example of unselfishness and give hope to those around you. Allow someone else to take your place in line while shopping. Put a little something extra in the food drive or buy a special toy for a child in the toy drive. Or perhaps just smile more at strangers and hold your tongue more at home.
If you don’t yet know this Hope that Jesus brings, I encourage you to surrender your life to Him right now…your Christmas will be more wonderful than you could ever hope for!
Paula Davis 
Great reminder. I think at times I feel like we are living in the hardest time with all of the sin running rampant but people through every generation had their hardships and trials to bear. Different but the same. :O)
Paula,
Beautifully said. If we spent as much time seeking Him and doing His will – our bank accounts wouldn’t be depleted and our blessings would be overflowing. As I sink into my chair for the next Hallmark movie, I’ll remember the reason I have this luxury – because HE gave all. Thank you!!!
Lisa