Good Thinking: The joy of feeling

Everybody talks about getting the "Christmas spirit." So, how are you really feeling? There are a lot of mixed feelings surrounding Christmas.

A mixture of glad feelings and sad feelings over Christmas past. We feel both joy and frustration over Christmas present. Feelings of uncertainty and hope mingle together as we look forward to Christmas future. The great joy of this Christmas is knowing that the God-of-Heaven has personally come to share all our earthly feelings!

DOUBT. Zechariah was a priest, a man-of-God. All of his ministry, Zechariah has preached: "The Messiah will come. Have hope." Yet, when the Angel-from-God announced to him that his wife would have a son, who would be the front-man for the Messiah, Zechariah doubted, "We’re too old to have a child! There’s no way this can happen!" We have high hopes that good thing will happen; but we doubt that they will.

ANGER and UNCERTAINTY. Joseph was a religious man. He was a leader in the community. People respected his judgment. Then, Joseph learns that the woman he intends to marry is pregnant. His future is uncertain. What will people think of him now. His status in the community will vanish. Perhaps he can call off the engagement; he must distance himself from this woman. Joseph is angry! How could Mary do this to me?

Amid the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, we become frustrated. Nothing is certain; the people we counted on have let us down; the things we treasured have lost their value. In our frustration, we become angry! And our anger destroys the "Christmas spirit."

BEAUTY and FULFILLMENT. Mary felt a sense of fulfillment as she heard what the Angel had to say: "You will bear a child. This Child is of God. You will be blessed; your son will be a blessing to all people." Mary went to stay with her cousin, Elizabeth. When Elizabeth met her, she saw the beauty in Mary’s face. Christmas is a time of beauty! The love of God touches people in a miraculous way, and they seem to glow in a beautiful way. The spirit-of-Christ brings us a feeling of fulfillment.

SELFISHNESS and GREED. The owner of the Bethlehem Inn was more concerned with making a profit than he was with a poor couple from Nazareth. Sometimes, selfishness gets in the way of the true "spirit-of-Christmas." We are more concerned with "getting" than we are with "giving." More concerned about "presents" than we are with His "presence."

FEAR and AWE. An Angel Choir appears to some shepherds with the "good news" that the Messiah is now born in Bethlehem; they are scared to death. They overcome their fears: "Let’s go and see for ourselves!" They find the Christ, and kneel in awe before the Child. Getting ready for Christmas can be so overwhelming that we are filled with fears. But beyond our fears lies the Christ-Child; as we kneel in His presence, we are filled with awe and reverence at feeling so close to God!

DISCOVERY and PERSEVERANCE. The Wise Men discovered a new "star" in he heavens. They began a long journey that would take them to a manger in Bethlehem. Their perseverance paid off! Christmas is a time for making wondrous discoveries about God, about life, about ourselves. The journey of life is long, and often difficult. Pray for a "spirit-of-perseverance."

GOOD NEWS! God created us to be human, people with feelings. Now, in Christ Jesus, God has come to be with and to share all our feelings!

Feel God’s love! Feel His joy! Feel God’s peace! Feel His presence!