Most Wonderful Time of the Year?
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… or so they tell us in song + cheer. But is it, really? Unfortunately for many, nothing could be further from the truth. For children and students whose only hot, healthy, and nutritious meals come about largely as the result of being in school, the two-week holiday break can be a very long, very lonely, and very cold and hungry time of year. For those who have lost loved ones in years past both during and around the holiday season, this can most certainly be the most terrible time of the year, as memories of better times return to flood, haunt, and wreak havoc on the hearts and minds of those left behind. For all of those, whom, due to either lack of health, lack of finances, or lack of ability or opportunity, simply cannot return back home for the holidays but desperately want and feel the need to, once again, it can be to them, the most lonely and miserable time of the year.
Even in times of widespread joy, there are those needing comfort.
However, for those of us forgiven in Christ Jesus and thus members of His one New Testament church/body (Acts 2:37-47; Eph. 4:4-6), we are, by far, the most significantly and infinitely blessed people on the planet. As such, we should not only be continually counting our blessings during this holiday season just the same as every other day and time of the year, but as God’s people we should also be making a special effort to seek to recognize, identify, and share our God-given blessings with those to whom this time of the year is by far the least wonderful. We need to be looking for opportunities to lovingly give them the gift of our time,a listening ear, and a supportive spirit, as well as an encouraging and compassionate shoulder to cry on when called for – all in addition to trying to take care of whatever legitimate physical needs we possibly can.
But by far the greatest and most important gift we can and are commanded to give them at the same time, is the same gift that we should and must be sharing with all of the lost, broken, and sin-sick souls all around us on an everyday basis – at each and every opportunity presented: the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 6:23; See also: Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16). You see, if we can just get them into Christ Jesus where every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places is located, they will not only have a vastly superior heavenly inheritance (Eph. 1:3-14), but will also become an instantly and infinitely blessed, valued, treasured and beloved member of the family of God as well (Gal. 3:26-27); the family of God which takes care of its own (2 Cor. 8:1-5; Gal. 6:10),and has learned the secret of being content in all circumstances (Phil. 4:10-13); the family of God that follows in the footsteps of Jesus and therefore loves and helps bear one another’s burdens in all situations (Rom. 12:4-16; Gal. 5:13-14, 6:2).
This holiday season, go out and make it the most wonderful time of the year for someone whom it would otherwise not be. Give them the precious gift of yourself, your time, your interest, your love and compassion. And then, give them by far the most priceless and wonderful gift of all – the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord as you teach them the gospel. Help make their most wonderful time of the year from now on, the 52 Sundays of each year that they will get to celebrate that gift in a most special way. Because after we have been a tool in God’s hand to help fill the emptiness of their bellies, hearts, lives, and souls, the only thing they ever ought to continually have to hunger and thirst for after that, is more and more of God’s righteousness… which He Himself has promised to fill such sincerely seeking people with (Matt. 5:6). God bless!