Christ

Finding Christ at Christmas

Valerie Cullers 13 Comments

Have you ever felt overwhelmed during the Christmas season? There’s so much to do besides the normal list of activities. Decorate the tree and house, buy presents and wrap them, attend school plays and church productions, shop, shop, shop, cook, bake, and keep juggling all of the normal balls. I remember many Christmases when I was thinking, “Where is Christ in all of this?”

Was I alone in my thoughts? I don’t think so. It is pretty hard to find time for anything spiritual when your activity level is at a ten plus. Can you relate? Is it possible to take a few steps back from the activity and seek the Savior’s presence? It is, but we must be Very Intentional about it.

Last December, when my husband was in the hospital, Christmas came to a screeching halt for me. There were no decorations put up in my home, no Christmas cards sent, and no parties attended. It was a month of hospital visits and sleep when I could find it. Funny thing though, I may have been closer to Christ than I had been most Decembers.

I could see Him in the doctors and nurses as they ministered to my husband. I could feel His presence in the halls of the hospital as I heard families weeping about their loved ones’ conditions. He was there with the hurting and those doing their best to alleviate the suffering.

If you’re missing Christ this Christmas and can’t find Him at the malls or the office parties, take part of a day and find someplace where people are hurting. Buy a fruit or snack basket and take it to a hospital, nursing home, or homeless shelter. Take a bag of toys to a migrant shelter or soup kitchen. The people there represent those who will not be spending a “traditional Christmas.” They will either be the ones receiving care or the ones giving it. Offer your time and resources to those who need it most. There you will find the Spirit of Christ. He is there among the brokenhearted. You will be enriched and your heart will be affected by those who are suffering and the kindness of others.

“Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. Matthew 25:40.

Slain

Valerie Cullers 7 Comments

Behold the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world.

SO WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN?

In Revelation 13:8, we see Christ described as “slain from the foundation of the world.” Before the world was created, before man was created, Jesus knew that man would be a sinner and that someone would have to pay the penalty for that sin. Before we were even created, He willingly chose to come to earth and pay the price for our sins.

It is hard to comprehend that kind of love, that kind of sacrifice, but that is exactly the kind of love that brought Jesus into the world and eventually onto the cross.

During this season, place your eyes upon Christ on the cross, dying for the sins of the world; for you, for me and for everyone who ever existed. That is the kind of love that God has for us and that is the sacrifice He made for us.

He Didn’t Have a Cell Phone

Valerie Cullers 19 Comments

Have you ever thought about the influence that Jesus had? He was born in a small town in an occupied country. His family was not wealthy and had no elevated social standing. He only had a ministry for three years, and yet He had more influence on the world than anyone who ever lived.

We know that He was the Son of God and taught truths that went counter to the world He lived in. We know that He performed miracles and attracted thousands who came to hear Him and be touched by Him. He was The Ultimate Influencer and yet, he had no social media footprint.  He did not have a cell phone and was not on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. 

What He did have was right priorities. He knew that in order to influence others, He must spend quality time with the Father. We read in Scripture that early in the morning, He would go out to a lonely place to pray. There, He learned the Father’s will, heard the Father’s words, and was filled and empowered by the Spirit of God.

He did not seek the attention of the crowds. He chose twelve men whom He could pour His life into and spent three years living with them and teaching them. He was not interested in the number of  His followers because He knew what was in men’s hearts. He knew they were fickle and would follow Him one day and be gone the next.

There’s a lesson here for those of us who wish to influence others towards a deeper relationship with Christ. We must do as He did. We must spend time, real time, with the Father, and learn His will through reading His word. We must not focus on the number of followers we have but choose to invest our time, energy, and words with those who are really interested in going deeper with Christ. Followers, as Jesus knew, will eventually come and go. We must follow His example and seek to do the will of God, in the power of God, for the purposes of God, in order to have real, meaningful influence in the world. 

Photo by Dorothee’ Quennesson. Courtesy of Pixabay