Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.(Bible Gateway, NIV) John 14:27
Every year about this time I see the hustle and bustle starting up where the two seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas collide with a frenzy of activity and I think of Martha and Mary in the Bible where one was calm and the other all caught up in the ‘doing’ that she forgot who she was really serving.
Do ever wonder about that as you observe Christmas trees go up even before Thanksgiving is completed? You don’t have to get on this treadmill of endless activity unless it truly does not stress you out and make you give second place to the true meaning of both these sacred holidays.
Try to decide once and for all that these days are both about prayer and Thanksgiving and God. It is not about parades, clowns, Santa Claus, egg nog, crazy sweaters, gorging on high calorie food and sweets, or getting gifts. It is about the gifts God to the pilgrims first then to us as we remember the birth of the savior of the world who came to set eternity in the heart of man and forgive you of your sins. He wants to be first place. Can you slow down this time of year and allow that to happen?
PRAYER: Thank you for the opportunity to celebrate my freedom in Christ and my freedom in the land I live in. Many countries are under tyranny. I thank you for Jesus who came that all men might have life and have it abundantly. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
#Biblegatewayblogger
Yes, these two holidays can create a lot of stress for people. However, we have to remember why we have them. The pilgrims had a very rough winter the first year they were here. They celebrated the next fall giving thanks to God. We fret about giving our loved ones the right gift when God gave us the greatest gift, His Son. Peace and blessings to you and yours.
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