Hey you. Listen up. Pay attention.
The angels had an announcement to make. The night Jesus was born, the angels came with news. They had a message.
They shared it with joy.
Can we?
Bad Tidings?
Sigh. I’ve already been complaining this Christmas.
- I can’t think of a good gift to buy my mother-in-law.
- There are too many activities to go to.
- I accidentally bought glitter Christmas cards (what was I thinking?).
It’s easy to be a bearer of bad tidings when people ask: “Are you ready for Christmas?”
Christmas turns into a time of being too busy, striving for too much perfection, and spending too much money.
Where is Jesus?
He is here. But maybe the better question is:
Where are His messengers?
Angels Shared Good News
Over the fields outlying Bethlehem the night Jesus was born, the shepherds were startled with brights lights and loud noises (Luke 2:8-15).
The angels didn’t show up with complaints of no sanitized delivery room for the Savior or rants about inhospitable hosts or whining about too much business surrounding the census.
No. The angels were focused on sharing:
- GOOD news
- Of GREAT joy
- For ALL people
Can you be an angel this Christmas?
What’s Your Message?
Angel simply means “messenger.” As we talk amongst ourselves this Christmas, we are relaying messages, too.
What message will you deliver?
We can relay a message of disgust with what Christmas has turned into. Or we can spread a message of excitement of what Christmas truly means.
One way to put Jesus back into Christmas is to put joy back into Christmas. It starts with us.
Good news still needs to be proclaimed. And we’re the angels here to proclaim it.
When you see an angel this Christmas, whether atop Christmas trees, in nativity scenes, or on Christmas cards (especially the glittery ones), remind yourself that you are an angel, too.
You are a messenger of good news of great joy for all people.
We’ve been gifted a Savior, Christ the Lord. Join in with the heavenly host and praise God for this gift.
Bring the right message this Christmas.
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. . . .
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!“
Luke 2:10-11; 13-14
Do you complain about Christmas? What brings you the most joy about Christmas?
This frames conversations over Christmas so helpfully for me, thank you! May we be messengers of Him!
I’m glad, Bethany. I really have to watch my tongue (and more importantly, my heart!) for signs of grumbling at this time of year especially. I want to send messages of hope, not complaint.
Thank you for this well-written and timely reminder, Lisa. As Christmas approaches, and I find my time to prepare getting shorter and shorter, I need more frequent reminders to anticipate the coming of our Lord with JOY! I had to laugh when you wrote about glitter cards. One year I made the same mistake. Boy, did I get an earful from my friends who had to clean up little piles of glitter that fell from the cards I sent out! :)
I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels that way about glitter cards, Laurie. I sometimes won’t even take a card out of the envelope if it’s full of glitter; I just peek inside to read the message and leave it there. :)
And yes, the closer it gets to Christmas, the more stressed I can become, so I am preaching to myself here. It’s not about what we get done (or DON’T get done) but about Who we are celebrating and who we are celebrating with.
Glitter cards? Now, that made me giggle, Lisa! I pray that I spend this Christmas spreading the joy and cheer of Jesus’ coming into the world for our salvation. That’s always the Good News!
Blessings!
I have strong reason to believe you are great at spreading the joy of Jesus to all around you, Martha. :) I love your enthusiasm and hopefulness and faithfulness to Jesus.
I enjoy giving and would much prefer nothing in return. We are in a new tiny house community with new neighbors this Christmas season and I’m having fun planning little gift bags! My message is Grace & Hope!
How delightful that you have a tiny house community, Susan! I’d love to see it. I know your little gift bags will be adorable. You definitely convey the love of Christ!
Lisa, I love that thought. We are the angels and we get to spread the news. Great reminder for us to be spreading good news, not our irritations and gripes.
Thanks for all the messages of God’s goodness that you put out into the world, Theresa. You are an angel of Light for sure.