Good people all, this Christmas time
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending his beloved son.
These words from “The Wexford Carol” call us to live thoughtfully. It’s never easy, but especially this busy time of year, we would do well to slow down and think more. Let’s take time to switch our minds out of autopilot and contemplate what we’re doing and why.
If you’re celebrating Christmas, what exactly are you celebrating? Why? I’m sure that the traditions and reasons vary among us, and I’m not going to tell you what to celebrate, how, and why. But I am asking you to think it through. Don’t let the holiday pass by this year without digging a bit deeper to understand and appreciate it at a level that it deserves.
Here are a few Christmas thought provokers:
- Watch A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Muppet Christmas Carol, or It’s a Wonderful Life.
- Read Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 1:18-2:12, “The Gift of the Magi,” or “The Story of the Other Wise Man.”
- Let the lights of the Christmas tree — and perhaps a few candles — be the only light in the room, and consider how light is part of the Christmas message and spirit.
- Take a walk in the snow (or anywhere in nature), and contemplate what Christmas means to you and your family and what it has meant to the world over the years.
- If you’re a praying person, ask God to reveal something new to you.
- If you’re a believer in Jesus, be in awe of what He did for you when He came into the world.
Whatever you do, live thoughtfully this Christmas. I hope that you find a deeper joy and peace than ever before. Merry Christmas to you and yours.