What do you want for Christmas this year? Have you written down your wish list? I remember childhood days of rummaging through the Sears Christmas Catalog in the quest for bigger and better toys. Of course, as adults, we’re not much different. We spend our lives on a quest for bigger and better. Yet we quickly realize that bigger and better doesn’t necessarily lead to happier.
Having a Merry Christmas has very little to do with what’s underneath the tree. Everything under your Christmas Tree will eventually perish, and much of it will perish quickly. But there are some things we long for that do not decay. We long for joy. We long for peace. We long for love.
We know that lasting joy, peace, justice and love can only be found through Jesus Christ. But does your neighbor know that? Has your neighbor been looking for joy, peace and love in all the wrong places, while you’ve had the answer the whole time? You’ll never know unless you invest the time and energy to find out.
So, here’s my Christmas challenge to you: Bring God’s joy, peace, and love to your neighborhood. There is a good chance your unchurched neighbor is at least thinking about Jesus during this season. Can you lean into that in some way? Can you invite someone over for dinner? Can you invite someone to worship with you? Can you think of a better idea to bring peace, love and joy to your neighborhood? The investment in your neighbor’s life could be the reason God put you in your neighborhood all these years. Your investment could lead to someone having a truly Merry Christmas.
-Mike Johnson
Don’t forget to ‘Take 5’