Christmas is over, we are in a New Year, so now what? So many people joyously celebrated Jesus and His blessed, sacred birth during the holidays, and reflected on what it must have been like when he was “wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in the manger…” Babies are so sweet and precious. And, of course, Jesus was a special baby, conceived in the power and mystery of the Holy Spirit.
But what do we do after the celebration is over? What do we “do with Jesus” after we unwrap Him, our blessed Savior, God’s perfect gift to us, beyond the manger?
Do we just go on with our lives as normal? Church once a week, a guided series of Bible studies a few times throughout the year, some visits to the sick, throwing our unwanted or discarded clothes/items in a bag to be donated to the needy?
Is that it? Jesus is so much more than a “babe lying in a manger on Christmas morn.”
Jesus, if we truly were to unwrap Him from the swaddling cloths, is incredibly more than we can imagine. Just as there are not enough words to praise Him, and not enough adjectives to describe His attributes or His character, there is not enough time to truly uncover all that He is.
But we can attempt to try. It is my goal to spend every day learning something new about who Jesus is, to understand that He is with me throughout the day. I want to seek Him consistently as I go about my daily routine, knowing that He is right by my side. Yes, He lives within my heart, but what does that mean if I don’t acknowledge His presence, His power, His deity every single day in all that I do?
He was born to provide hope, healing and deliverance to all who would believe in Him. It’s not enough to hear that message without understanding our role in delivering that message to those who don’t know.
But first, we must know. We must truly know the Savior of hope for ourselves. We must truly understand that Jesus can heal each of us, no matter how deep the wounds are. We must truly believe that Jesus Christ can deliver us from any strongholds, any attacks, any addictions, any sin that has entangled its death grip on us. Jesus has that saving power!
So as we look to make New Year’s resolutions, as we set goals for 2018, as we dream of what’s ahead in this brand new year, let us seek to know Jesus Christ even more. Let us take the time to truly look beyond the manger and see, feel and experience the blessed Savior, and make Him Lord over our daily lives.