"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor
rests." (Luke 2:14 NIV)
As the Christmas season sets in, the world outside begins to prepare for the
cold, dark days of winter. Icy winds and blowing snow replace the warm breeze
and delicious smells of flowing trees, and at such times, my mind often turns to
memories of the past summer.
Take our wedding anniversary celebration last summer, for example. Now THAT is a
memory worth contemplating, especially in the cold blasts of winter! We had
reserved a room at a beautiful bed-and-breakfast called the Four Seasons. It was
named after the famous composition by Vivaldi, and if ratings could be given for
these kinds of establishments, this one would certainly have earned 5 stars. The
gardens around the tranquil water fountain were stunningly well-maintained,
there was a Jacuzzi tub in our room, and the balcony looked out over the
spectacular grounds. Our short stay left us feeling revitalized, young once
again.
It wasn't just the Four Seasons bed-and-breakfast that made this anniversary
special. We had spent the afternoon watching a delightful summer play, and after
a tête-à-tête Swiss cheese fondue, we strolled through the town like two young
lovers, just enjoying each other's company. It is with heavy hearts we left that
delightful place the following day, for we knew that ahead of us was another
stress-filled year with its many challenges.
While contemplating this delightful experience, I couldn't help but think about
the name of our special bed-and-breakfast, the Four Seasons, and my mind
wandered to the four seasons of the year. I was amazed to realize that that
summer was one of my favorite seasons. The trees are filled with their beautiful
green and red foliage, the grass is bright green, and the flowers make their
appearance throughout this season. The sun graces us with its presence, warming
our heart and soul. I also always welcome spring with open arms, for it
announces that summer is soon forth coming. Fall is the season to commemorate
all the delightful memories of the past summer, while winter greets us with its
cold chill. Brrrr! Summer seems to be just a memory.
It's always interesting how our mind will jump from one thing to another, and
soon my memories of the recent bed-and-breakfast experience took a different
turn, and I began to see "seasons" in the passage of time. When Jesus came to
this earth 2000 years ago, He brought "spring" to our existence. He announced
the soon arrival of God's eternal "summer", available to anyone who accepts Him
in their lives. Many received His message of hope, love and healing, but some
perceived Jesus as a threat and treated Him coldly, eventually finding an excuse
to nail Him to a cross. But their cold wintry attitude was defeated when Jesus
rose three days later, promising His resurrection life to all of His followers.
We, as humans, can be like Jesus and greet those around in a spring-like
fashion, encouraging them to persevere, bringing them hope, love and peace
through the gospel of Jesus. After all, "eternal summer" WILL soon be here.
Doesn't THAT give us a reason to celebrate? The world around us may be in
turmoil, but we can still radiate inner peace and joy. Why? Because we know
Jesus personally, and we can share our joy with others.
Too often however, believers act as if the "fall" season is upon them. They
commemorate all the times in the Bible and in the history of their own churches
when God has been experienced by people, however they do not know God
personally, for if they did, a current personal relationship with God would
overshadow their past experiences. When God is perceived as only being active in
the past, the message given is one of sadness, not of hope!
Then there are those, like the Pharisees, Sadducees and the other ministers of
Jesus' day, who treat others coldly, as if they were a "winter" blizzard and no
one is really welcome in their presence. They act as if heaven is reserved for
them alone, and no one else is worthy of God's love. They forget that they,
themselves, are ALSO unworthy of His love, for ALL have sinned!
Neither of these last two groups of people really know our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. His "spring" message is clear and simple: "Whoever believes in me, as
the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
(John 7:38 NIV); "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest." (Matt 11:28 NIV); "When a man believes in me, he does not
believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the
one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who
believes in me should stay in darkness." (John 12:44-46 NIV); and "For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16 NIV)
How are you treating others around you? Are you a "fall" Christian, celebrating
only God's past actions? Are you a "winter" Christian, treating others as if
they were not worthy of God's company? Or are you a "spring" Christian? Do you
know God personally? Do you follow in Jesus' footsteps and love others
unconditionally? "We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love
God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his
brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has
given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John
4:19-21 NIV); "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you,
so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my
disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35 NIV).
During this Christmas season, let us celebrate the "spring" of this world by
experiencing Jesus personally. Let us follow in His footsteps by sharing His
hope with those around us. Summer is forth coming! Let Jesus radiate through us.
His peace and joy will be noticeable to others, if we just let Him shine through
us. He is alive and lives right in our heart. Thank you Jesus, for being my
friend and Savior! Hallelujah!
What season of a Christian are YOU??!!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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