Proclaiming hope and love in a season of grace is one of our most critical missions as Christians. This Christmas season can be highly stressful for many people.
Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, set free those oppressed, and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Urgency
These words carry a sense of urgency and purpose, a call to action that feels especially relevant in a year marked by chaos and challenges. Amid the dysfunction, God’s voice remains clear, challenging us to proclaim His favor and glory to all who cross our paths.
“Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love, a time when the love of God and the love of our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness, a time when our thoughts and deeds and the spirit of our lives manifest the presence of God.” – George McDougall.
This season, my plea is simple yet profound: reach out to hurting people. Extend not empty platitudes but genuine love. Quiet desperation is a silent killer, an emotion that suffocates the soul.
As we enter this season of celebration, I urge you to reach out to hurting people and offer them a lifeline. Don’t aim to cheer them up or solve their problems—love them. Many people battle quiet desperation, a stifling emotion that isolates and burdens. While we are not the ultimate solution, God can work through us to bring light to their darkness.
Fortune
For those fortunate enough to recognize God’s blessings, this season is a time to reflect with gratitude.
Psalm 100:4-5: “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good, and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”
We celebrate relationships, opportunities, and the hope of a brighter future, grounded in the knowledge that God has given us the choice to embrace hope in this moment.
But not everyone experiences this season with such gratitude. For some, the holidays are a stark reminder of what they lack. Broken relationships cast long shadows, opportunities feel distant, and the future appears uncertain. Their thoughts swirl with regret over what might have been, and their hearts grow heavy with grief. Life for them is not a glass half empty; it’s a glass that feels too small to hold anything at all.
Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
These words remind us of God’s nearness to those in despair and call us to embody His compassion by extending love and hope.
Seasons of Darkness
Having faced my seasons of darkness, I know the despair that can rob a person of hope. For some, Christmas is not a celebration but an escape—a time to forget pain rather than reflect on joy. The light others see as hope can feel like the oncoming glare of despair. For those without Christ, peace feels unattainable, and the promise of salvation seems like a distant dream. I have been there, praying for the pain to end, longing for peace that seemed out of reach. Yet, peace without Christ is an illusion, and our true destination without Him is one we dare not desire.
Matthew 25:45: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”
Celebrate
This Christmas, I urge you to invest in someone else’s life. Don’t try to fix their problems; instead, be a source of hope. Walk alongside them in their journey. Let them see God’s love through your actions and presence.
Be the one who brings light to another’s darkness, the one God rejoices over. This season, choose love, hope, and be a vessel of God’s grace to those who need it most.
May His love be poured out upon you, and may you be filled with His love this Christmas. May the true meaning of Christmas bring you great joy, peace, comfort, and many other blessings.