Christmas is all about your focus. If you focus on the temporary aspects of this season – you will certainly be filled with happiness but you may never experience the true and lasting joy that Christmas was always meant to bring.
If you are entertaining visions of sugarplums, fruitcake, a tree laden with gifts and a snowman that dances – you are focusing on all of the wrong things. However, if you are focusing on the timeless Carols of Christmas, on the opportunity to give to others and on the greatest Gift that the world has ever received – then, my friend, your world will be filled with the spectacular joy that only Christmas brings.
Where is your focus this Christmas season? Perhaps you are focusing on the pain and grief of the past year. Maybe your heart has been decorated with disappointment and now deep trauma lines the hallways of your memory. If that is true, let me quickly assure that Christmas is especially for you! You are not excluded from the celebration that is unique to the month of December.
Jesus came into our dark, cold world and gave us hope! Do you remember these lyrics from a well-loved Christmas Carol: “A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!”?
No matter what your Christmas looks like this year – if it is sparse or abundant, if it is quiet or noisy, if it is busy or boring – you can experience the thrill of hope that is always delivered with the true meaning of Christmas.
Christmas is a time that calls all of us to examine our focus in life. You can choose to focus on the materialism or on the miracles. You can choose to focus on your lack or on His provision. You can choose to focus on your pain or on His hope.
I choose hope! I choose hope not only during December – but during every calendar month of the year!
Carol McLeod
Carol is a best-selling author and popular speaker at women’s conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. Click here To learn more about Carol. We are excited to announce Carol will be speaking at MBolden Ministry Women’s Conference in March.