December is the month of Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. During this month, I believe all of us are very busy for several reasons. Firstly, the state of NSW was in lockdown for four months and after the gradual lifting of restrictions since October, we have been busy adapting to the new normal. Secondly, we might be engaged in recovering the economic loss suffered during the pandemic. Lastly, we could be occupied with planning for the holiday season and celebrating with family and friends.
In the busy month of December, how do we return to the true meaning of Christmas – the miracle of the Son of God becoming flesh? And how then should we prepare our hearts in anticipation of Christmas this year?
We all have a tendency to be forgetful and to become driven by the demands of daily life. It can be easy to lose sight of a sense of purpose and focus in our lives. There are many places in the Bible which remind us of how God prepared people’s hearts before the birth of Jesus.
God not only prepared the hearts of Mary and Joseph, but also prepared the hearts of John the Baptist and his parents. God prepared them by letting them know His will for Christ to be conceived by the virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit. God’s salvation plan for mankind is indeed miraculous, and His desire is for us to respond to His plan with obedience and action. In the month of December, what reminders have the Lord given to each of us? He does not want us to be overwhelmed by our busy lifestyle that we forget the significance of the birth of His beloved Son Jesus Christ. His wish is for us to be ready to welcome Jesus, not only through remembering His birth, but to invite His lordship into our lives once again, and to be humble and surrender ourselves to Him anew.
How then can we prepare ourselves for Christmas? We should welcome the King of kings and Lord of lords into our lives once again with a humble and fervent heart, because in Him there is salvation, peace, love, joy and hope. Our lives can only be meaningful if we truly know our Lord Jesus Christ, who delivered us from the curse of sin, death and eternal darkness.
Let’s ask God to help us during this busy month to know why we are busy to reflect on the purpose of our life and to prepare our heart for God. Let’s dedicate our heart, our mind and our being to the Lord once again, because He alone is worthy. Praise be to Jesus who came down from heaven and walked this earth for our sake and thank our Heavenly Father for His abundant grace.
12月, 是聖誕節的月份, 是我們記念耶穌基督降生的月份。這個月, 相信大家都很忙碌, 但忙碌有幾個的原因, 一, 是因為紐省封城了四個月後, 十月份開始逐步的開放, 大家都忙著適應解封後的生活。二, 大家要忙著彌補, 在疫情封城時的經濟損失。第三, 忙著為聖誕節假期, 安排節目, 家庭朋友聚會等。
在忙碌的十二月份, 我們怎樣回歸到最原本的意義? 真正的記念主耶穌基督, 為我們降世成人的偉大神跡? 我們又怎樣預備我們的心, 去迎接今年的聖誕節?
我們都是很善忘的人, 很容易被生活的忙碌, 驅使我們被動的生活, 容易的失去了生活真正的目標。
在聖經裡, 多處提醒我們, 神在耶穌基督降生之前, 預備各人的心, 來迎接耶穌的降臨。
神不單預備耶穌的父母, 瑪利亞及約瑟。神也預備施洗約翰及他的父母。神讓他們知道神的旨意, 基督將要奇妙的降生, 通過神跡, 聖靈感孕, 童貞女懷孕生子。神有衪奇妙的拯救計劃, 但神希望人以順服及行動來回應。
在這個月, 神給我們什麼的提醒? 神不希望我們在忙碌的生活中, 忘記了衪的愛子耶穌基督的降生。神希望我們好好預備自己, 去迎接耶穌。不但是記念衪的降生, 更是希望我們, 再次邀請耶穌基督, 進入我們的心裡, 讓主耶穌, 作為我們生命的主, 生命的王。讓衪掌王權, 居首位, 使我們謙卑的, 把我們生命的寶座讓出來, 讓給配得坐在我們生命寶座上的主耶穌基督來作王。
我們如何預備自己? 我們應該以一個謙卑的心, 敬畏的心, 再次迎接這位君王, 讓衪進入我們的生命中, 因為耶穌基督要把救贖帶給我們, 把平安, 仁愛, 喜樂及和平賜給我們。
有了主耶穌, 我們生命才有希望, 有亮光, 有盼望及未來。因為衪要把我們從罪, 死亡及黑暗中拯救出驗。
求主幫助我們, 在忙碌的十二月中, 我們知道為什麼而忙碌, 為了誰而忙碌, 如何預備我們對神的心。把我們自己的全心, 全意, 全人, 再次獻給神。因為衪是絕對配得我們獻上一切。感謝愛我們的主耶穌基督, 為我們而降生, 感謝天父的恩典。
