When Christmas Doesn't Sparkle

READ: PSALM 27; LUKE 2:6-20; REVELATION 21:1-5 I used to love Christmas—the lights, the songs, the joyful feeling in the air. But not this year. Rather than filling me with excitement and delight, everything seemed shallow and empty and selfish. How could we celebrate joy and peace when the world is in chaos and people are hurting? How do you suddenly ignore the fact that people are suffering around the world, and even the families closest to you are bombarded with afflictions of grief and difficulties? How do you spend a Christmas celebrating if you personally feel hurt, lonely, and forgotten? In a world that is so full of hatred, conflicts, pain, and disease, it’s easy to scoff at the idea of there ever being peace on earth. And if all this bad stuff is happening, how could God possibly be showing goodwill toward us? But that’s when I realized my thinking was completely wrong. The very reason we have Christmas is not to make you feel more alone, but to prove how much you are truly loved. God isn’t ignoring the suffering going on around us. Christmas marks the day that God proved His care for us by sending his Son Jesus, not only to be born as a baby, but also to conquer sin and death once and for all by dying on the cross and rising from the grave, so that anyone who believes in Him can experience His peace, forgiveness, and an eternal future where all hurts will be finally and fully healed. Joy isn’t ignoring pain—it’s having hope in spite of it. Jesus can be that hope for you. The story of Christmas is a precious reminder that no matter how bad things get, there is hope for the world, peace for your heart, and the promise of everlasting life to those who put their trust in Jesus—and that is something to celebrate. • Christina Cheng • Have you ever felt like Christmas was just a cruel reminder of something you lost? It’s okay if you don’t feel like celebrating, just remember that Christmas isn’t about tradition or faking happiness, but rather a loving act of God bringing hope and salvation to a broken world. So we can acknowledge and grieve the hurts in our lives and in the world around us, while also celebrating the good news that God cares about those hurts, and He’s doing something about them. • Do you ever feel like no one sees your pain, Christmas-related or not? The Bible says Jesus does. He loves you, and He understands what you’re feeling. Consider taking a moment to come to Him in prayer, telling Him about your pain and asking for reminders of His hope and care. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)