Searching for joy this holiday? Find it in what God has already given
By Dean Collins
The Grinch may have stolen more than Christmas!
It may be only me but I will share it just in case you also ever struggle with this embarrassing confession. Sometimes in the midst of stress, I get so focused on my problems that I forget my blessings. And if I don’t check myself, my stress robs me of considering all the things God has done for us and given to us.
Here are a few reminders of the gifts of God.
1) Because of God’s great love for us, we now are called children of God. Our identity as God’s children does mean that the world often will not relate to us because those outside of Christ do not yet know God. Their path to God has much to do with how we love each other and lay down our lives for others in the same way Jesus laid down his life for us.
A visible and noticeable way for the non-Christian to see Jesus comes through how we provide for those around us in need. John said we are to love with our words and our actions. When we do, we know the Spirit is living in us.
2) God has given us the ability to test and know what spirit is from God and what is not from God. Through the Holy Spirit living in us and the reliable testimony of the Word of God, we can discern what is true and from God and what is opposition and comes from an impostor. We who are in Christ listen to the Spirit of truth. Those not in Christ listen and follow a spirit not aligned with Jesus.
John again tells us that one of the tests of authentic Christianity is how we love each other.
3) We have the gift of assurance regarding eternal life. We do not have to live wondering about eternity with God and with the saints. John writes that when we live in the love of God and abide in Christ declaring him as Lord, we can be confident that we have begun eternal life. We will breathe a last breath here, and our next breath there because we are abiding in Christ.
4) Not only do we have confidence in our eternal life, but we also have confidence that when we pray according to God’s will he hears and answers our prayers accordingly.
5) We have all these gifts and more because of God’s great love for us. We also have been given a gift of clear guidance on what to avoid. John’s last instruction says this: Keep yourselves from idols. Anything that we allow to block our view of Jesus is likely an idol. If our focus is more on our success, wealth, or pleasures then we need quickly to move those things to the side so we can see Jesus. When we stay focused on Jesus and his Word and love each other sincerely, we have the best protection against allowing something else to be an idol in our lives.
Our gratitude for the many gifts God has given us will keep the Grinch from stealing Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any other day of joy.
Your time with God’s Word
1 John 3:1-2, 16-18, 24; 4:6, 21; 5:13-15, 20-21 ESV
Photo by Gene Gallin on Unsplash
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