Recently, while out on my daily walk, I came across some neighbors of mine. They were also out for their regular exercise. As I came down the hill toward the lake, they were coming up the hill toward me. Only, they were walking backwards up the hill!
I ventured a joke as we passed, telling them that we had that much in common, in that I had spent more time than I could remember in life going backward rather than going forward! They laughed; but then told me that this was a regular part of their walking routine, as it helped with coordination as well as working muscles not always used when going forward. In short, they were doing this on purpose as it was in their best interest!
As I walked on down the roadway, I reflected on the fact that what they were asserting was good for their physical health and vitality probably had applications for life in general. After all, does it not behoove each of us, periodically, to pause, take a step or two backward, and utilize the process to improve ourselves and our standing? It probably does.
At this time of year, as the twelfth and final month has now unfolded, you are probably a lot like me in that you are focused in on Christmas and all it entails. If you are, good for you! As I asserted in my last post, Christmas is God’s greatest gift to us! For Christmas represents God’s passionate desire to see us spend eternity with Him, all made possible through the person and work of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.
But Christmas, coming as close as it does to the end of the calendar year, is also a time of reflection. Given that God has done so much for us, is it not prudent to take a little time at Christmas and ask just what we have done with what all God has given us?! In other words, to pause, take a step back, and reflect on what all we have devoted ourselves to over the past year of our lives…
For this reason, believe it or not, one of the songs I have come to appreciate this time of year was penned by John Lennon. It is titled “So, This is Christmas”, and contains these haunting lyrics as the opening verse: “So this is Christmas; and what have you done? Another year over; and a new one just begun…”
Perhaps this is why the Bible confronts us with a similar admonition, recorded in the New Testament Gospel of Luke (chapter 12, verse 48), where Jesus says: “To whom much is given, much will be required.”
As Christmas unfolds, therefore, why not pause, take a step back, and reflect on what all God has given you? And in the process, why not ask yourself what you have done with what all He has given you?
After all, everything you have is clearly God’s gift to you. But what you do with everything you have been given is surely your gift back to Him!
LYRICS SOURCE:
https://www.songlyrics.com/john-lennon/so-this-is-christmas-lyrics/.
SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/luke/12-48.htm.
I ventured a joke as we passed, telling them that we had that much in common, in that I had spent more time than I could remember in life going backward rather than going forward! They laughed; but then told me that this was a regular part of their walking routine, as it helped with coordination as well as working muscles not always used when going forward. In short, they were doing this on purpose as it was in their best interest!
As I walked on down the roadway, I reflected on the fact that what they were asserting was good for their physical health and vitality probably had applications for life in general. After all, does it not behoove each of us, periodically, to pause, take a step or two backward, and utilize the process to improve ourselves and our standing? It probably does.
At this time of year, as the twelfth and final month has now unfolded, you are probably a lot like me in that you are focused in on Christmas and all it entails. If you are, good for you! As I asserted in my last post, Christmas is God’s greatest gift to us! For Christmas represents God’s passionate desire to see us spend eternity with Him, all made possible through the person and work of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.
But Christmas, coming as close as it does to the end of the calendar year, is also a time of reflection. Given that God has done so much for us, is it not prudent to take a little time at Christmas and ask just what we have done with what all God has given us?! In other words, to pause, take a step back, and reflect on what all we have devoted ourselves to over the past year of our lives…
For this reason, believe it or not, one of the songs I have come to appreciate this time of year was penned by John Lennon. It is titled “So, This is Christmas”, and contains these haunting lyrics as the opening verse: “So this is Christmas; and what have you done? Another year over; and a new one just begun…”
Perhaps this is why the Bible confronts us with a similar admonition, recorded in the New Testament Gospel of Luke (chapter 12, verse 48), where Jesus says: “To whom much is given, much will be required.”
As Christmas unfolds, therefore, why not pause, take a step back, and reflect on what all God has given you? And in the process, why not ask yourself what you have done with what all He has given you?
After all, everything you have is clearly God’s gift to you. But what you do with everything you have been given is surely your gift back to Him!
LYRICS SOURCE:
https://www.songlyrics.com/john-lennon/so-this-is-christmas-lyrics/.
SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/luke/12-48.htm.