Thanksgiving til Christmas

This past week I spoke at the women's christmas event at my church, and have been asked by a few people to please post the text of my talk. Here it is, in full, for those who want to read it:

A friend recently shared with me a story which appeared in a South African newspaper a few weeks ago.

“A driver was being tailgated by a woman on a busy street. Suddenly, the light changed and he stopped, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman hit the horn, screaming and swearing in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious cop.

The officer ordered her out of her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched and finger-printed, photographed and placed in a holding cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects. He said, “I’m very sorry for this mistake, ma’am. You see I pulled up behind your car while you were honking, flipping the finger and swearing a blue streak.

“I noticed the ‘Choose Life’ and the ‘What would Jesus do’ bumper stickers, the ‘Follow Me to Sunday School’ sticker and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem.

“Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car”.

This story struck me as particularly apt to think about at Christmas time, a time when many of us have houses and dishes adorned with the words “peace”, little motifs on our mantelpieces which say “joy to the world”… and yet it’s a time of year which is so often characterized by a lack of peace and joy for us personally. I wonder sometimes, if someone were observing our homes and our behavior, whether they would see a fit, or whether they would think “naturally, I assume she has stolen the Christmas dishes”.

None of us want to be taken for thieves or hypocrites like that, and so I want to add some thoughts on this topic which I hope will encourage you even as they’ve encouraged me as I’ve been reflecting on it.

Perhaps I should start with a disclaimer. When I was asked to prepare this talk, my first instinct was to say no. Not because there wasn’t much time to prepare, and not because I really wanted to play on the worship team. The real reason I was reluctant was that I was asked to speak on hope and joy and walking in the Spirit during Christmas – and in all honesty I didn’t feel that I had anything to say about hope or joy or walking in the Spirit during Christmas. I had done a Bible study on the fruit of the Spirit during the summer and had learned many wonderful things about God’s peace, hope and joy…. But two weeks ago I wasn’t in a space I would call “walking in the Spirit”, or living closely with God if you want another way of describing it. Nope. I was planning a 4 year old’s birthday party, my Mom’s arrival for 6 weeks to visit, her upcoming birthday, my own birthday, thanksgiving, potty training my toddler, balancing budgets making Christmas lists and… oh yes… learning how to use the app on my ipad which tells me how big my baby is this week. (a pear, if you’re wondering). Hardly the stuff of spiritual giants. And so when I was asked, I thought “Ummm no”. But I said “Ummm… I’ll get back to you.”

But I talked to my husband and then, for the first time in a couple of days, really talked to God and spent some time in prayer. And for the first time in perhaps weeks – I sat down and read a chunk of Scripture. I randomly picked Colossians, and as I read – I felt this amazing combination of “oh God – you really want me do this?” and “Thanks God! I see you have a plan in this” – because the more I read, the more I felt my emotional and spiritual stupor being poked and prodded at. The more I felt God saying “I have a purpose in this for you, and for the women at FBC”. When they asked me I felt like the poster girl for Christmas-indifference, but now I am excited. And refreshed. And encouraged. And I want to tell you why.

I started out by revisiting my notes from the study on the fruit of the Spirit from the summer, paying particular attention to the weeks on peace and joy. On the subject of Joy, Beth Moore writes that “joy results when we discover the presence, power and purpose of God in every circumstance”.

I just couldn’t stop reading that sentence. The word PURPOSE kept jumping out at me. It is certainly true that God showed his presence, power and purpose in a most wonderful way when Jesus was born. The birth was miraculous, the angels announced it, the course of history changed. God’s presence (God WITH us - Emmanuel) and his purpose (to bring a Savior and King into the world), was marvelously and powerfully demonstrated. Of course, as Luke 2:10 records the angel saying, this was good news of GREAT JOY.

But here’s the thing: Christmas joy is not just about remembering a PAST joy. Joy results when we discover the presence, power and purpose of God in every circumstance, and dare I say every season. And it fell upon me with fresh zing that joy for me, right now, comes from knowing that God is present with me NOW, powerfully at work NOW, and has a PURPOSE for me NOW during this very season.

Friends: God has a purpose for You this Christmas. He does! He has a divine purpose in any and every circumstance. This season of my life is busy but good, and God has a purpose for me in it. He isn’t going to WAIT until January when Christmas is over and we start a new budget, a new diet and a new session of bible study to work with us – his purposes are being powerfully accomplished RIGHT NOW.

Well what is that purpose? There may be some specific things he’s working out in us this Christmas: perhaps it’s patience because you have to deal with frustrating people, perhaps it’s faith because you don’t know how you will make ends meet. Perhaps His purpose is to show you his tender comfort and care in a new way because you are lonely and grieving and the Christmas season just makes it seem more acute. Perhaps it’s learning to trust in His grace, because you’re an over-achiever and there’s nothing like a permanently incomplete to-do-list to make you realize you can’t control everything.

I don’t know what the specific thing is, but I can tell you with certainty what his overarching purpose is: He wants you to KNOW HIM better. Whatever it is you’re facing these holidays: the pressure of too much, or too many, or too little or too late or too lonely – know this: God is WITH YOU and his Purpose is to walk with you through THIS MONTH and THIS SEASON so that you know Him better at the end of it.

I realize that there may be some who might be thinking “that is a really presumptuous thing for you to say, given that I’m not even sure God exists, and if he does – that he has any good purposes for me.” I understand that – I think it sounded the same way to me 15 years ago. But perhaps I can encourage you with this thought: it is possible for us to have strong feelings for someone and hopes for them, even without their being aware of it. I vividly remember being star-struck in love with a guy who was barely aware I existed. I arranged to be in his general vicinity, I befriended his friends, I positioned myself in his life. We became friends. I had a purpose for him… which he was completely unaware of it. Now, as it turns out – I lack the powers of a deity so my purposes for him didn’t all work out, but you get the idea.

Being a parent is perhaps a better example: there are all sorts of things I’m trying to achieve with my kids, and much of it they’re unaware of at the moment. For example, if my 4-year old comes complaining to me about something, I am trying to teach her to ask me for what she wants rather than just whining about the problem. From her perspective, Mommy is just saying “don’t whine, ask”. But from my perspective, I’m trying to teach her to be a person who thinks about possible solutions to a problem instead of focusing on the problem itself. I have a purpose.

Whether you are fully aware of it, vaguely aware of it, or deeply skeptical of it: the Bible says that God has purposes for us. For YOU. He wants the fabric of life this Christmas to somehow knit you closer to Him. He does.

But HOW. How then, in the midst of the Christmas season which has it’s own pace and agenda, can we tune in to His purposes and get to know Him better? I need to tell you that if the answer involves “get up a little earlier to have a long daily quiet time”, then this Christmas will be a dismal failure for me because honey, I JUST CAN’T DO IT! [I really do hope for those things and hope one day I will be less exhausted… but for now, If the path to spiritual closeness with God or of finding his Purposes this Christmas involves something more “to do”, or a chunk of extra time in meditation– then I’m discouraged already.]

But I’m not discouraged. I was GREATLY encouraged by Colossians, so let me share with you what I found; particularly about walking closely to God and experiencing hope, peace and joy….

Colossians 1:9 We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^{[e] 10} so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you^[f] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

Colossians 2: ⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 3: ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Colossians 3:¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Colossians 3:¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 4:2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Can you see it? Can you? It hit me like a giant whammy as I read through Colossians: if we are to live our lives in Christ (2:6), we need to do so giving thanks. If we are to grow in the knowledge of God (1:13), we do so joyfully giving thanks. If we are to experience the peace of Christ ruling over every stormy situation, we are to be thankful (3:15). If we are to let God’s word really sink in and sing all those Christmas songs with meaning, we need to do it with gratitude in our hearts. If we are to pray at all, we are to be keep our wits about us and make sure that amid our petitions and requests, we stay thankful (4:2). Because, as 3:17 says – WHATEVER we do, whether in the Christmas season or not, whether we say it or display it – we are to do it to bring honor to Jesus, giving thanks all the way through. Somehow, walking closely to God and experiencing growth, joy, peace, fruit and all that good stuff – is inextricably linked to thanksgiving.

One of the things that I love most about living in the States is the Thanksgiving holiday. And it’s not because of the turkey. I just love the FEEL of thanksgiving. It seems to have something quintessentially right about it – a day to reflect on how good God has been, to be thankful. I think one of the reasons that thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for millions of people is that the practice of giving thanks actually does something incredibly good IN us and FOR us. It brings something good out in our souls. Maybe this is stating the obvious, but giving thanks for what we have draws attention to what we have (instead of what others have that we don’t). Being thankful for what we have leaves us feeling full, and joyful. It draws attention to the good stuff. It reminds us to count our blessings… and somehow, that always leaves us feeling BLESSED.

The tragedy of the modern Christmas experience is that so often it is exactly the opposite of thanksgiving. We make list of things we haven’t done yet, things we don’t have, presents we haven’t bought yet, objectives for the year that weren’t met – and all of that focus on things un-done and un-purchased and un-accomplished leaves us feeling empty, inadequate, and dare I say it – unblessed.

And so I want to encourage you to do something radical and profoundly biblical. Instead of closing off Thanksgiving in November and launching straight into the “next” season of Christmas, I want to encourage you to consider what Colossians is saying and celebrate thanksgiving ALL THE WAY through Christmas.

Somehow, God assures us in His word that this practice of being thankful is integrally tied to us experiencing HIS joy, HIS peace, HIS hope and also being aware of HIS presence, purpose and power in our lives.

I once heard it said that the difference between Christianity and all other religions are the letters “ne”. It’s the difference between “DO” and “DONE”. Religion tells us we need to DO things to be near to God. Jesus tells us what he has DONE to accomplish that. I want to suggest to you that perhaps the difference between a joyless and a joyful Christmas is “ne”: a choice to focus on what we still have to DO, or on what God has already DONE. And the key to that is thankfulness – which involves the practice of bringing to mind what God has done. It means rehearsing his faithfulness, and telling ourselves and others the old, old story. Perhaps it means making a list of God’s attributes and sticking it on your fridge. Perhaps it means telling your kid your testimony of how you became a Christian, because somehow telling our story always reminds us of God’s kindness to us. Perhaps as you write your Christmas letter this year you want to take time to reflect on ways God has answered prayers or brought good changes about in you.

But the point is this: rehearse it. SAY it. Don’t just think it: SAY it. Sing it. Explain it while you decorate the Christmas tree. Write it when you send a card. To use Dickens’ phrase: it could be said of Christmas that “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. Yes, it can be the busiest and most demanding season of the year. But it is also replete with reminders of God’s faithfulness, with little things which – if we have eyes to see – can remind us to be thankful, and as we do that, to bask in a God who has always been faithful, who has SHOWN himself to be present, powerful and active in the world. He showed it that first Christmas, and He will show it this one. He has a purpose for you this Christmas, and my prayer for us all is that we will approach this season and approach HIM with gratitude in our hearts – and in doing so, tap into the joy and peace and hope that ONLY come when we hitch our wagon to His.

Think for a second about how this works: Focusing on what I need to do is anxiety-producing. Focusing on what God has already DONE by giving him thanks for it is anxiety-reducing.

Thanking God for being WITH me and never leaving me leaves me feeling comforted.

Thanking God for forgiving me and, as Psalm 103 says, remembering that I’m frail and I can’t do it all and yet he loves me still, leaves me feeling secure and loved.

Thanking God for His love for me and His assurance that He will accept me now and FOREVER brings an upwelling of joy.

Thanking God that he works EVERYTHING out for good in the end and that He will wrap everything up under Christ leaves me feeling more peaceful.

Do you see how it works? Thanksgiving, in its essence, does a work in US because it draws our attention to God’s GRACE and His sufficiency. It draws our attention to HIM – He who is, as the Bible says, the Prince of Peace, the Joy of the world, the Hope of nations, the author of our faith. It reminds us of Who he He is and What he’s done and How he loves us – and in THAT – there is joy and growth and peace to be found in every season of life.

This might seem strange to you, but my Christmas carol of choice this year is not a traditional Christmas song. I’ve had this song on repeat in my head, and as I’ve been thinking about the year past and the VERY busy weeks ahead – I have heard God’s voice to me through the lyrics: “I have been faithful in the past. I am faithful to you now.” And it’s made me thankful. As you listen, I hope it does the same for you.

God has a good purpose for you this Christmas. Please take time to be thankful and let God FILL you, COMFORT you and give you JOY as you think on these things.