Tag: A Word for Wednesday

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The Mystery Concealed

In over 30 years of marriage, I can count on one hand the number of times I actually surprised my wife at Christmastime. This is because Peggy is astonishingly observant and I am hopelessly obvious. One year, however, Peggy’s sewing machine reached the point where it had become as much hindrance as help, and she resigned herself to the fact it was time to replace it. I tucked her comment away in my mind, and that fall, shopped for the one that—considering both functionality and price—offered the best value. Purchased then on lay-away, the gift remained hidden at the store while I paid on it incrementally over time with cash. It was only when Peggy was in the maternity ward, resting up from childbirth, that I redeemed the package, wrapped it, and surprised her with it on Christmas morning! (And that’s what it takes for Mr. Slick to pull off a surprise around here.)

It is amazing to think about how intentional and personal God was in giving the world its first Christmas present. He knew exactly what we needed, He planned His gift from ageless age beforehand, and He kept it well hidden until the right time for it to be revealed. He even readied us ahead of time, foretelling His plan through His prophets, though they themselves couldn’t figure out the mystery or its time of delivery, despite their greatest efforts to do so. “Concerning this salvation,” writes Peter, “the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing. . . . It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you.”1 God was thoughtfully preparing a people for acceptance and belief, even while keeping His means of grace a mystery. How did He hide it so well? “The mystery . . . which was not made known to people in other generations,” writes Paul to the early church, “was kept hidden in God, who created all things.”2 What present could possibly be so big that it had to be hidden in God himself? What gift could be so valuable as to be held safe and secure in Him whose riches are unsearchable? What benefactor could be so patient, preparing the world through His prophets, orchestrating events in His sovereignty, and concealing His treasure until “the fullness of time”?3

In next week’s post, we’ll unwrap this present and behold together “the mystery” kept hidden for so long. Until then, we marvel at a God who cares about us so much that He goes to eternal extremes to show it. That in itself is a mystery to ponder.

Father, as we approach Christmas Day, inspire us to stop long enough to try to imagine the depths of your love for us. As we give and receive our gifts this year, may we also do so in selfless love. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Christ in me is hope.

1 1 Peter 1:10-12
2 Ephesians 3:4, 5, 9
3 Galatians 4:4

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Freely Giving What We Cannot Buy

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:10, 11 (NIV)

What was it again that the angels brought to the shepherds that first Christmas Eve? New sandals? New staffs? New robes? No, they brought none of these, not even a t-shirt to commemorate the occasion. To the shepherds, the angels unveiled something of far greater value than anything money could buy—the Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, the One promised through the ages and now with us for eternity.

Two thousand years later, we still celebrate Christmas by giving and receiving gifts. It can be a season of surprise and joy, and it can just as easily be a time of disappointment, such as when we can’t afford to buy what we want to give or when our gift goes unappreciated. But have you ever noticed that the best gifts we ever receive are the intangible ones that touch us inside? They show up as acts of kindness and expressions of goodness, and they often come when we most need them and least expect them. It’s the genuine smile igniting in our heart the warm glow that spreads, in turn, across our own face. It’s the beautiful tone of the encouraging word that sets our soul to song. It may be the unexpected deed of a stranger or the dependable help of a neighbor that restores our depleted supply of hope. Like the announcement of the angels, these acts of love cannot be bought, but only given; they are free, yet also priceless.

There is something curious, yet consistent, about these intangible gifts of the soul: we cannot contain them; they overflow from the inside out, and we eagerly give them away almost as quickly as we receive them. Isn’t it true, for instance, that we love others most freely when someone has done something loving for us? Don’t we give most generously after someone else has first selflessly given to us? Aren’t we most inclined to offer encouragement when we’ve been uplifted by the affirming words of another? And when are we ever more forgiving than when someone has forgiven us for our own mistakes?

This is the gift of Christmas. Jesus, the Son of God, came to take upon Himself the punishment for all our sins; He loves us that much. God calls us to draw near to Him and to live life in His presence with confidence and joy; He forgives us that much. When we trust in His forgiveness of us—and in His love for us—we are free to flourish in life, free of guilt, free of shame, free of fear; we are encouraged. And as we experience in ourselves the love, forgiveness, and confidence we receive from God, it is then that we freely give these same priceless gifts to others who journey this life with us and all around us. There is nothing people need more than these, and it costs us nothing to give them.

This Christmas, enjoy the meal, and enjoy the gifts, including the most valuable ones—the ones we cannot see, yet treasure the most.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Christ in me is freedom.

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Time Well Spent

I think I was in eighth grade when singer and actor David Cassidy took his turn as teen idol for adolescent girls. (Heartthrobs are like tennis champs: they reign for a time before succumbing to the next up-and-comer.) You couldn’t walk past a celebrity magazine newsstand without seeing his face plastered all over the place. He had talent, looks, fortune, and fame. The girls in my class loved him. The boys didn’t.

David Cassidy passed away last month. He was 67. Too young we might say. It is always sad to lose someone early, yet it was these, his last words that brought me up short and stopped me in my tracks: “So much wasted time.” That was it. How empty it must have felt to exit this life in such regret.

I do not share this story in pointy-finger judgment. Quite the contrary, Cassidy’s heartache jolts us awake from the slumber of routine and elicits a cry from our soul, “Lord, may this never be true of me!” Indeed, the pop singer’s daughter and actress, Katie Cassidy, tweeted, “This will be a daily reminder for me to share my gratitude with those I love so as to never waste another minute … thank you.” She has the right idea—to focus on the things that matter.

But how? How do we live a meaningful, fulfilling, satisfying life? Sharing gratitude is certainly a step in the right direction, yet we do well also to consider insight from another David of long ago, another musician, a psalm-writer. His advice? “Trust in the Lord and do good … delight yourself in the Lord … commit your way to the Lord … be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” When we live openly before God this way, our interests and longings shift over time from the temporal glory of this world to God’s eternal glory and the next. We joyfully discover that the things that truly matter are also the things that last far beyond our lifetime and into forever—namely, loving God and loving other people, not only in the way we feel toward them, but even more so in the things we do for them. Others are served, and we savor satisfaction; God is delighted, and we find fulfillment. For time invested into that which is timeless is time well spent. No regrets.

Father, I confess I don’t always use my time well, in fact, I often don’t. I am truly sorry. Fill me with your Spirit that I would delight in your forever purposes and live this life in love and service to you and to all who journey this life with me. May my life matter for your kingdom. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Thank you for loving my soul and hearing my prayer. Amen.

Christ in me is life.

[Click here to read King David’s advice in Psalm 37:3-7.]