Dec 23 - Luke 2:17 (b)

And when they saw it

they made known the saying

which had been told them

concerning this child …

Luke 2:17

We just got a fruitcake from my brother for Christmas. It’s filled with cherries and nuts and chunks of pineapple. But those aren’t the right fruits for the holiday. Joy is the real fruit of Christmas.

Joy, as we’ve said, comes when God’s kingdom breaks into the world. And God’s kingdom obviously broke into our darkened world majestically at Christmas.

You can have that Christmas joy all year. But you must remember that it doesn’t come from tinsel and packages. As wonderful as the music is, it doesn’t come from choirs and carols either. Since joy comes when the kingdom breaks in, you can experience a heavenly happiness whenever you share the good news like the shepherds did upon that Christmas day.

Here’s what the shepherds teach us about discovering joy …

•      First, be where you’re supposed to be. The shepherds were where they were supposed to be, in the fields, keeping watch over their sheep. Where are you supposed to be? Doing your earthly job faithfully and well? Being attentive to your family daily? In church each week, active and involved? Standing beside neighbors in need?
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•      Second, obey. The shepherds were told what to do to see God’s presence. So are we. We are told to obey commandments. We are told to model our lives to the pattern of Christ. We are told to love. We are told to forgive. We miss the glory when we do things our way instead of God’s.
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•      Third, we look. After the shepherds obeyed and went, they look for God’s presence. If you don’t expect to see God’s presence, you simply won’t see it. Look. Expectantly.
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•      Fourth, go and tell. One of the reasons that we don’t have more joy is that we don’t share that joy – evangelism. Have you ever heard anyone say, “I only have so much love to go around; therefore, I’m not going to give it away”? The truth about love is that the more we love, the more we have. The same is true with joy through evangelism. The more we share, the more we have.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants more joy

… and sharing Christmas

is a good place to start