Pretty soon Christmas day will be here. Chances are, many of us are at times a little frantic with all of the plans and preparations we have to make. Some will be traveling, some will be home while welcoming family and friends, and there may be some who wish they were traveling or welcoming family and friends. While this day brings many joys and warm memories for many, the reality is that it can also bring sad and painful memories for others. While many will be among family and friends, there will be many whose painful and lonely Christmas memories will go unnoticed.
The greatest gift the world has ever received was when the Father gave His one and only Son to be the Savior of the world. He gave the gift of salvation to those who were willing to accept it. This is what we celebrate and remember this time of year but are we simply remembering it or are we both remembering it and living it?
In the beginning of 2 Corinthians, Paul wrote about the God of all comfort and the purpose of His comfort:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
Paul said that if he and the others with him were comforted in the midst of their distress and trouble, the comfort they received from Jesus was not just for them, but also for those to whom they would be ministering and serving. They were to take the comfort they received from God and share it with others who needed it. We are to do the same, especially around this time of year as we remember and are comforted by the coming of Jesus to save us. The comfort we receive from this event is not meant to be kept to ourselves, but it is meant to be shared with those who need it. Jesus gave His life for us and now He calls us to share our lives and the hope we have with others.
As we go about our lives and ministries this time of year, let’s be on the lookout for children and families who need the comfort we have received from Jesus, and let’s be willing to give to them what was given to us through the life of God’s one and only Son, not just with words, but with action.