What Christmas Means for Us Today and Every Day

By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy of: Annie Spratt

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” ~Romans 13:11-12

This week, the last week of our regular posting schedule for this year, we are heading ever closer towards Christmas Day. But Christmas Day (as beautiful and magical and special as I hope and pray it is for you!) will come and go. What will not come and go is your need to daily bring before your mind and heart the life-changing, mind-changing, heart-transforming truths and implications of the gospel. Every day left in this year and every day of the year ahead will be wrought with lies from the enemy who will be seeking to entrap us in his snares, to deceive us into not believing that the Lord views us as redeemed saints in Him, to make us think we have to be “perfect” to be accepted...and the list goes on!

As you prepare for Christmas morning, there is no better time than the present to remember why that baby was in the manger some 2000 years ago and why that age-old story means so much for us now, right where we are, on this December day.

Women like Rahab, Tamar, Ruth, and Bathsheba looked forward to the first Advent, the first

coming of Christ, placing their hope in the promise of a future Messiah Who would come and

save His people from their sins. Christian women of today look forward to the second Advent,

the second coming of Christ, placing our hope in the promise of a future return of that very

same Messiah Who will come and rescue His people out of this dark and depraved world and

usher them into eternity to be with Him forever.

On whatever side of the timeline women (and men!) have found themselves down through

history, the truth has remained the same: we must always (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 style!) keep the

truths of God and our salvation in Him before our eyes every moment of every day.

As we step into a new year just a couple weeks from now, many of us will be attempting (often in

our own strength, thereby rendering ourselves oftentimes unsuccessful) to craft and keep a

whole long list of resolutions. But we likely will have done so by seeking our own guidance,

wisdom, opinion, plan, and perspective on what is best. What we need to be doing, however, is

keeping the gospel at the forefront of our minds (as frontlets between our eyes - Deuteronomy

6:8!), asking the Lord to help us sift every plan and every priority through the lens of His truth.

Because I am here to tell you today that the gospel is not merely good news for your eternity. It

is good news for the here and now, as well. It makes a difference in your everyday life - if you

let it! It makes “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

much easier if you meditate on it!

This Christmas and on into the New Year while you may be feeling as if you have to be

“enough” on your own, the gospel says you never could be, and that’s okay - Christ is enough

in and through you on your behalf!

While you may be feeling as if you have to strive to be perfect, the gospel says you already are

perfect because you possess the righteousness of Christ as your very own!

While you may be feeling as if you have to “do it all”, the gospel says you were never meant to

be omnipotent (all-powerful) and omnipresent (present everywhere). Instead, you can rest,

leaving it all to God.

While you may be feeling as if you have to do, do, do in order to please God, the gospel says if

you are in Christ, you are already pleasing to God as a sweet-smelling aroma (Philippians 4:18,

Ephesians 5:2).

While you may be feeling as if it all depends on you, the gospel says it is Christ Who keeps the

world spinning and holds it in His hand.

While you may be feeling as if your identity is to be found in what you do and what you

accomplish, the gospel says your identity is to be found in what Christ did for you and what He

accomplished on the cross on your behalf.

While you may be feeling as if the salvation of your children hinges on you doing everything

right and being the “perfect” mom, the gospel says that you do have a part to play in raising

them and planting the seed, but that you can rest because it is ultimately God who gives the

increase.

I could go on, but I think you get the picture! This Christmas and in the New Year ahead, I want

you to know and remember that the baby in the manger is not merely a nice story or an

endearing picture intended to provide us with a sweet holiday season in which to enjoy the

pleasures of gifts and family. It’s so much more than that. It is something you take with you

every moment of every day, as you ponder and meditate on why God came to earth in the flesh

as a baby, why He chose to die, and what that means for you now and for eternity. Allow the

“Christmas story” to, perhaps for the very first time, be used to change your entire outlook on

your life and on the lives of those around you. And may the glory, peace, beauty, joy, and

celebration of Christmas be yours every day of this New Year ahead. 

Reflections Questions:

1)  How does your thinking need to be changed by the truths and implications of the Christmas story?

2)  How can you take the beautiful implications of the Christmas story with you on into the new year?

3)  What has the Lord been teaching you this Christmas season?