Christmas Joy - The Gift Of Love

This Sunday morning is the second Sunday of Advent. Last week we talked about the HOPE of Christmas. Today, the next step as we anticipate the arrival of the birth date of our Savior Jesus Christ, is celebrating the JOY of Christmas. PRAYER

For some folks, Christmas is the happiest time of the year; for others, Christmas is the saddest time of the year. It all depends on how you feel about your circumstances in life. The circumstances in our life during this Advent season, can bring us the greatest pain, or they can bring us the greatest joy. The ingredients of our life can lead to joy if we look at them from God’s viewpoint.

I am reminded of the family that sat down to a meal with their grandpa and dad, an old farmer. The farmer was asked to ask the blessing on the breakfast of biscuits and gravy. They bowed their heads as the elderly farmer prayed:

“Lord, I don’t like the taste of flour. It would choke me if I tried to eat it by itself. I can’t imagine trying to eat a chunk of lard by itself. Baking powder is the nastiest tasting stuff if I ate a spoonful of it. Salt wouldn’t satisfy my hunger at all. But if I mix all these things together, they make the best biscuits I have ever eaten. So, I thank you for the flour, the lard, the baking powder, and the salt. But I thank you even more that you have brought them together to make this wonderful blessing of biscuits and gravy. Lord, as we sit together at this table, we are all going through different circumstances in our lives right now. But you have brought us together as a blended family. So, I ask that you help us to thank you for the circumstances in each of our lives that have brought us together at this moment. AMEN

So, you see, when I speak of JOY at Christmas, every one of us have some circumstance in our life right now that can make or break our Christmas joy. But the question is really about what Christmas Joy truly is. What is JOY?

An editorial page headline read, “The sad results of too much happiness” – the article having to do with the misfortunes of those who had won big over the years by playing the lottery. Most were bankrupt within the first year.

The popularity of the lottery and those who win and jump for joy tells me that people get a thrill out of winning. And it doesn’t have to specifically be the lottery. We tend to jump for joy when we win at anything we might compete in. We love to win. And winning brings us JOY.

But it makes me think. Do you suppose that all too often we tend to associate happiness and joy with money and material possessions, as opposed to what it is that really makes up true happiness and genuine joy?

Most folks look forward to Christmas; some look forward to the day after Christmas. It all depends on how commercialized we as individuals want to make it.

Sure, the commercial aspect of Christmas generates the excitement of anticipation, especially in children; yet there are children who wouldn’t experience this excitement were it not for good-hearted folks who contribute in some small way to help every child have a merry Christmas. Our angel tree project is a good example of that. If it were not for your kind and generous hearts to purchase a gift for a child you don’t even know, that child might not get anything for Christmas.

During this season of Christmas, have you ever thought about how many Christmas traditions we are involved in? Decorated trees, bright lights, parties, family get-togethers, delicious food, new recipes to try, gift giving and receiving, Christmas plays, worship services, concerts, caroling and all the rest. But intwined with it all– there is one word in the English language that, to me, describes what I wish for everyone to experience as a result of all that we see and hear and do during the Christmas Season. That word is JOY.

You may feel happy . . . You may feel sad . . . You may look forward to Christmas Day . . . You may look forward to the day after . . . How you feel about it really has nothing to do with whether or not you experience the JOY of Christmas. You see, JOY as expressed in the Bible was not meant to be a feeling. JOY was meant to be a gift of love.

Some folks equate joy with happiness; but, you know, you can feel unhappy, due to your circumstances, and still experience the gift of JOY. You may or may not get caught up in the commercialization of Christmas and still experience the gift of JOY. You may or may not get involved in the traditions of Christmas and still experience the gift of JOY.