The Work of Christmas
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners… to comfort all who mourn… to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”1
Christmas has come and gone, and for many it is easy to go back into our usual routine and forget why we celebrated in the first place. I found the following poem and wanted to share it with you:
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.2
Christmas is not just a day out of the year where we remember the Savior, instead it is the beginning of a new year of diligent work as we continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those around us. Bringing hope where it is lost, finding lost souls, and sharing the Good News of Salvation with them, loving our neighbor, serving others joyfully, being peacemakers in the presence of conflict. These are all things we should be encouraged and inspired to do because of the great Gift that was given to us at Christmas. Let us not forget but be active participants of God’s plan and great work.
Suggested prayer:
Dear God, help me not fall back into a meaningless routine of busyness, but rather fill me with your Spirit so I can be a witness of Christmas every day of the year. Use me to be Your presence to someone in need today. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV).
Howard Thurman.
All articles on this website are written by
Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.