“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
‘Tis the season to be jolly! Everyone is in the holiday spirit, spreading Christmas cheer, singing about comfort and joy. In short, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Right?
But what if it isn‘t? What if you just aren’t feeling the warm and fuzzies this year? Does that make you a bad Christian, or a (gasp) Scrooge?
December is the time of year when we celebrate Christmas, and most importantly, Jesus’ birth. It is traditionally a time of joy, merriment, kindness, and so many other good things. And yet, every year, there are people who are hurting during this time.
Maybe it’s your first Christmas without a loved one. Maybe Christmas is hard because family is hard, filled with broken relationships, past hurts, or unfair expectations. Maybe this year is difficult because there isn’t enough money for food or presents. Maybe you are far from home and can’t be with your loved ones this year. Maybe your spouse walked out on you. Maybe your church family let you down. Maybe a friendship has died and you don’t know if it will ever recover. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Fill in the blank!
The reality is that life doesn’t stop and suddenly get cheerful for us just because it’s Christmas time. The things that we are dealing with don’t get put on pause or go away.
Maybe you’re struggling this year with wondering where your Christmas spirit went, and why the good news of Christmas doesn’t seem to be lifting your heart the way it normally does.
Friend, don’t despair. Don’t give up. At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ and what it means for us as Christians – the hope of our Savior! His birth points ahead to His death on the cross and His resurrection—the moment when He took our sin on Himself, bought our salvation, and gave us His righteousness. He gave us hope for the future. One day, we will spend eternity with Him. And at that time, “He will wipe away every tear from their [our] eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Maybe your Christmas spirit looks a little different this year. Maybe instead of cheerfully singing carols while you decorate, bake cookies, or wrap presents, you’re quietly clinging to this hope: that because of Jesus, born in a manger, some day your tears will be wiped away.
Dear friend, cling to Jesus. Put your hope in Him and let Him comfort you now, in this difficult Christmas season.
Taking It Further:
If this article rings true for you, consider reaching out to a close friend, someone who can walk through this time with you. If this article doesn’t describe you, can you look around you and find someone who it does describe? How can you reach out to them and be the arms of Christ this Christmas?