Is there any joy and hope?
In this season where we sing of holly and ivy, snowmen and rest for merry gentlemen, is there really something of substance to sing about? Is Christmas truly something to celebrate beyond giving and receiving of gifts and eating copious amounts of tasty treats? With COVID restrictions in place, how can we find joy or hope when we can’t even gather with family and friends? There is no candlelight service at church or opportunities to talk about what is most meaningful. So where do we find joy and hope this Christmas?
I admit the colour seems to have seeped off my page as of late. The darkness of the west coast winter, the inability to socialize with no end in sight…some days it threatens to get the best of me. In my unguarded moments, I am tempted to believe there is little to celebrate this year. And yet, I see my wooden creche and hear familiar lyrical strains that draw me back to what is the greatest reality: Jesus.
Away in a manger
Is there validity to the claim of this simple children’s song? Could a baby born in squalor, with livestock giving witness, actually be the source of our joy and hope? I say a resounding YES! Jesus wasn’t just another baby born to a single mother in less than ideal circumstances. He came as He did to offer joy and hope like none had done before Him and like none have done since. His delivery and packaging wasn’t what anyone expected but He came to challenge and change this broken world. For that reason, His birth is relevant today; it is the reason for joy and hope.
Ancient words
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
No doubt you have heard these words quoted at least once in your life. Perhaps you have sung them in Handel’s Messiah. But why are they worthy of being repeated here? I believe these words hold life-changing, transformative power. The baby born to Mary in the stillness of night came to change you. Yes, He was born over 2000 years ago, but His purpose remains: “…to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…” (Is. 61:1)This prophetic proclamation includes you and I. It is the reason we can have joy and hope in the middle of a pandemic, racism, slavery, and corruption.
Try this
I wonder how my life might change if I woke up each day and recited Isaiah’s words to myself. What if we look at this famous quote, not as nice Christmas verbiage, but a truth that can guide our days?
Wonderful Counselor
Wouldn’t it be incredible to have our own guide, therapist, helper in our back pocket? When we are lost or confused, frustrated or defeated, he or she would be there to walk us through and show us the way forward. This is who Jesus is. He is God with us, always.
Mighty God
As a little girl, I thought my dad was invincible. He was strong, able to accomplish feats of greatness according to my young eyes. But he was a man, weak and fallible like any other. God, however, is the picture of perfection when it comes to strength and might. There is none like Him, and while we seldom understand how He wields His power, we do not lessen it.
Everlasting Father
I can admit without hesitation that I am a flawed and imperfect parent. I look at my own parents and can say the same. We fall short often, but God is the perfect Father who always has our best in mind. Just like our children disagree with our decisions, we will also question God’s, but there is no one who sees the big picture like He does. His love is unconditional. His provision will come when most needed. He is faithful and available until the end of time.
Prince of Peace
Who doesn’t need a good measure of peace under the current scenario? Doctors, virologists, politicians, pastors, friends…no one seems able to provide the answers we long for. I listen to many who are struggling to find peace. It can seem elusive, along with joy and hope, the perfect trifecta. But when we trust that our Mighty God is working for us, with the wisdom of a Wonderful Counselor and the love of an Everlasting Father, we can settle into His arms which offer peace.
So what do you think?
If I were mindful to rehearse these qualities of God each morning, I believe my outlook would change. Such a perspective takes my eyes off myself and my situation and allows me to zoom out, seeing a larger view. Trust would flourish under these conditions and in laying my concerns down at the feet of a Mighty God, peace would convert to joy which would facilitate hope. At the end of the day, it is Jesus who makes all the difference. It’s at least worth a shot, don’t you think?
If you have never risked belief in Him, I dare you to try. Recite these names with earnest belief and see what changes in your day to day. Dare to believe that Christmas is far more than a little baby with an angelic mother visited by guys with weird gifts. It’s a story that redeems all that is wrong in this world, all that is broken in you and me. It is the link to lasting joy and hope.
Resources this Christmas:
Online Christmas Eve service: www.centralheights.ca
Coaching: www.ginabalzer.com
Therapy: www.mercyseatministry.ca
