Christmas – Page 2 – The Will to Wake Up

First Sunday of Advent: God’s Call

Join us on this first Sunday of Advent as we explore the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s call.

Devotional:

Have you ever been asked to do an “impossible” task? Perhaps your boss asked you to perform a task that you weren’t trained to do. Or maybe in a relationship you had to make a decision or have a conversation that you didn’t feel ready for. Sometimes, tasks are impossible for us to perform alone and it’s unreasonable for us to be expected to perform it well.

As someone who has always worked in a teaching-related role, I’ve had students whom I’ve (admittedly…) felt unsure would ever improve under my instruction. Usually this level of defeat or doubt comes after I’ve tried everything I know how to do to train them, whether in social skills, horse riding abilities, or academic concepts. But they just keep going back to the same bad habits. Change seems impossible!

In our passage today, Zechariah and Elizabeth certainly felt that having a child was an impossible task. A task that had far greater implications than most, given that their community status, lineage, and perhaps even view of themselves was tied to being able to have a child of their own. If a neighbor or friend said to them, “Hey, you guys should still try to have a baby even though you’re old and wrinkled and you’ve been trying without success for your whole marriage”, they would understandably be hurt, offended, and frustrated. A human giving them this advice has no place to judge or correct their behavior, nor determine the outcome.

However, it isn’t a person who informs them that they will have a child, a very special child. Gabriel, a messenger from God, delivers Zechariah and Elizabeth’s call to them. The only actions they need to take in response to this call are trust in God’s plan and let the events unfold before them.

Let’s take a look at how they respond: Reread Zechariah’s response in verse 18 and Elizabeth’s response in verse 25.

Zechariah responds in a very human, natural way. He questions this news and he’s unable to move past his own shortcomings in order to embrace the calling God has on his life. Meanwhile, despite not even receiving the message personally, Elizabeth praises God and fully embraces this call, an answer to a long-term prayer.

God is the most qualified to give us our callings. He knows us better than we know ourselves — after all, He created us with our purpose in mind! Therefore, we can trust Him to help us follow our callings even when it means relying on Him to make the impossible happen.

Thankfully, both of them are able to enjoy the gift of this call when their baby, John the Baptist, is born. After nine months of silence, Zechariah has a renewed relationship with God. Through her faithfulness, Elizabeth not only becomes the mother of Jesus’ cousin; she is able to provide support and comfort to Mary, who is also going through a sudden change in circumstances, as we will learn next week.

I don’t know about you, but I often use my human limitations as a reason to doubt God’s calling on my life. The irony is that I still desire to know what God’s call is, but it’s much harder to hear it when I’m drowning out God’s voice with my own insecurities and misbeliefs. Thankfully, God is made perfect in our weaknesses, and even if we are reluctant to embrace our calling at first, God will help us grow through the experience to trust in Him more deeply. No matter what, we can do nothing to thwart God’s plans, though the journey is more pleasant when we trust Him.

Our callings don’t have to seem big or important, even though every calling from God is used in profound, unimaginable ways. Perhaps you are called today to reach out to an isolated neighbor or forgive a loved one who has wronged you or perform an act of kindness for a stranger. Whatever God is leading you to do today, perhaps even resting in His presence, I pray that you are able to accept this call with grace, humility, and confidence that nothing is impossible for God.

Questions:

Can you think of a time when you felt like God was calling you to do something? How did you respond?
Have you ever been in a situation where you thought nothing would ever change? How did that make you feel?
What helps you remember that nothing is impossible for God?
What is one thing you can do this Advent season to show God’s love to someone else?
What are three things you are grateful for this year?

Sing: Let’s close our time together in worship.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

The First Noel

A Christmas Reflection

Merry Christmas!

This Christmas, whether you are…

Receiving the rewards of patient waiting, like Zechariah and Elizabeth.

Facing financial difficulty or societal rejection, like the shepherds.

Eager to share your gifts with the world, like the magi.

Unsure what the future will hold after your plans change, like Mary.

Trying to be supportive and encouraging, even at great costs to your reputation or personal ambitions, like Joseph.

Feeling overwhelmed by expectations or commitments to the point where you can’t give any more, like the inn keepers.

Or expressing your joy as you live into the purposes and promises of God, like the angels.

I hope that you feel part of the Christmas story this year. God didn’t have to create us or give us important work to do, yet He chooses us because of His love for us. Let us rejoice in these promises today, and every day. No matter what today looks like for you, you are loved, seen, and treasured. Merry Christmas ❤

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:15-20

Christmas Challenge

Read through Luke 1-2 and write down three things about the Christmas story that resonate with you this year. Did you notice anything different? How can this story, whether familiar or not, bring you peace and hope this Christmas?

The Gift that Matters

What does sacrifice mean to you?

Sacrifice is often undermined in our self-focused, overly ambitious society. Even when we give, we expect to receive back. While it is certainly important to prioritize keeping healthy boundaries, cultivating mutual relationships, and taking care of your wellbeing, we are also called to experience self-sacrificing ministry.

Towards the conclusion of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He brought the disciples to the temple full of religious leaders who made a point of praying loudly and pointing out others’ flaws rather than serving from the heart. Jesus recognized the faithful gift of a poor widow who, while only donating a couple coins, was giving all she had to live on because of her love for God.

I’ve read this story several times, but what stood out to me today was the fact that we don’t hear of how her needs were met afterwards. Jesus doesn’t hand her a huge bag of coins in compensation. She doesn’t seem to have a plan of how to pay her bills. We stay in the moment: what matters is the gift she’s giving now.

Before moving forward, I want to point out that this sacrifice of hers doesn’t come at the expense of her own value. Often, we think we have to belittle ourselves or be put in harmful situations in order to fully sacrifice. Or that we need to overcommit or meet every single need before we’re true followers of Christ.

Yet those sacrifices still draw the attention to us. When we sacrifice for the sake of self-pity or self-importance, we really aren’t sacrificing anything at all.

Notice that this woman was visiting the temple, a place of worship, to praise God and be filled with His gifts. Before she could give of herself, she first had to receive from God.

Jesus’ reaction shows that while she was honored, her sacrifice wasn’t undone. She may not have eaten dinner that night. Perhaps she was put in the vulnerable situation of needing to ask others for assistance thanks to that gift.

What Jesus reveals is that this sacrifice was worth it. The love and trust this woman placed in God through this action was greater than any earthly need or reward.

Today, ask yourself what kind of sacrifice you can give to Jesus this Christmas. Perhaps it’s setting aside your pride and serving others with a humble heart. Maybe it’s stepping out in faith and giving more than you planned for the sake of others. However you feel called, allow Jesus’ love for you to fill all the voids in your life.

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Luke 21:1-4

Single All the Way

Encouragement for those feeling lonely this holiday season.

Single at Christmas? Fear not, with a little mistletoe and a cup of cheer, you will soon find yourself swept into the arms of a charming stranger, ready to never spend another Christmas alone.

That’s what all the holiday movies assure us, anyway. But life tends to prove otherwise.

While it may seem silly or even humiliating, it’s completely natural to feel particularly lonely at Christmas, even if you are normally secure in your singleness. The media screams at us that the holidays are meant for togetherness, so where’s your partner already?

Perhaps the problem is that this message isn’t completely false. The birth of Jesus brought people together from around the world, each experiencing and celebrating His arrival in their own way.

But when we really think about that faithful night, the glitter and glitz falls away. The story begins with a man and his wife who were “behind” those in their generation by not being parents. Then we find a young couple who were faced with sudden difficulties, yet persevered through their trust in God. We meet stinky shepherds, outcasts in society, elevated to the first proclaimers of the good news. Later on, we are inspired by the wise men, who were likely thought of as eccentric rather than brilliant.

Maybe our cast would’ve been the ones without dates to gatherings, the uninvited guests, the ones “still” without kids to celebrate Christmas with, or the socially awkward relatives. Maybe they would’ve grown up as the wallflowers, the last picked on the team, or the nerds. Maybe they didn’t feel like their belonged either.

Despite how you might feel, whether there’s an empty place beside you at the table or in your heart, you are not a failure for not being in a romantic relationship, no matter your age or position or faith.

Most of all, being single doesn’t mean you are alone this holiday season.

God knows exactly who you need and He will guarantee that you connect with those people. Perhaps you are meant to be married someday, and if so, God has that person picked out for you and wants you to use this time to prepare your heart for the next stage of your life. Or maybe you will be content with independent living and God will surround you with friends and family who will love you.

Either way is okay. You are not worth any less no matter how your life plays out.

This Christmas, instead of feeling sorry for yourself over your relationship status, consider it one of those “blessings amidst pain” moments. We may be able to experience the Christmas story in a whole new light when we realize what we have in common with God’s unlikely chosen. ❤

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.
1 Corinthians 7:17

You Won’t Miss What’s Meant for You

Are you tired of trying to figure out what God’s will is for your life?

God’s will. Two scary words for anyone in a season of waiting, transition, or decision-making.

Every time I’ve made a life decision over the past several years, I’ve been asked, “Is this choice within God’s will?”.

Usually it comes after I’ve asked for advice, when I’m not sure what is the “right” decision. In these moments of overwhelm and confusion, being thrown this additional component makes the process even more daunting.

Perhaps you’ve been in that situation. You really want to please God with your life, use your gifts for His glory, and live with purpose. But…the will of God can seem so broad and significant that even thinking about it results in a headache.

Here’s the thing: We have no control over God’s will. It will happen regardless of what decision we make. One yes or no isn’t going to ruin God’s plan for our lives.

This news might be a relief, or it might be frustrating to hear. We’d like to think we have some sort of handle on what happens to us, right?

I was rereading Luke 1 today, and a new detail caught my eye. For those of you unfamiliar with the beginning of the Christmas story, it starts off with Zechariah the priest in the temple receiving a message from the angel Gabriel announcing the promise of Zechariah’s son, John the Baptist.

However, what I never noticed before was this detail:

Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
Luke 1:8-9 (added italics)

It was beyond Zechariah’s control to be in the temple that day to receive that message at that specific time, yet God orchestrated it in a way to uniquely speak to Zechariah. Even when Zechariah didn’t believe the angel (and received the consequence of losing his voice for nine months), God’s will was done. No matter what, God knew He wanted to use Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, for the key role of raising up an important leader.

No person, thought, fear, or feeling could remove God’s divine purpose from this family.

God’s will isn’t supposed to be a scary thing that we have to figure out. By prioritizing our relationship with Him and trusting Him with every detail of our lives, we will be able to witness God working even in the most troubling of circumstances. Most of all, as we grow to become more like Him, it will be easier for us to understand how to react when difficult situations arise.

But through it all, even when we make mistakes, God will use you and your special gifts no matter what. He will never leave you alone. ❤

But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth.”
Luke 1:13-14

Celebrating the Prince of Peace

How are you longing for peace this Christmas?

I hope you are having a very merry Christmas!

No matter how you are feeling today, I’m sure we are all longing for peace. The funny thing is, while Christmas celebrates the birth of the Prince of Peace (aka Jesus), Christmas has become a chaotic time.

We are searching for peace after endless shopping and crazy spending.

We are searching for peace when our mind tells us we aren’t good enough or happy enough to fully appreciate Christmas.

We are searching for peace when we are running from one activity to the next, hoping that finally things will click and feel like the “most wonderful time of the year”.

We are searching for peace when we are missing a loved one who made Christmas magical.

How are you searching for peace this Christmas?

To be honest, I’ve been giving that question a lot of thought recently. While I’ve been able to heal and restart over my holiday break, I’ve had trouble truly feeling the “Christmas spirit” this year. It feels like something is missing.

I’ve wracked my brain over and over again, trying to figure out what that missing piece could be. Sure, some traditions haven’t happened and I haven’t been able to see family this year. But that doesn’t seem to be it.

The Christmas season flew by in the blink of an eye. It feels like sand slipping through my fingers. Little bits of magic just out of grasp.

What is that void? Lacking peace. Fearing the world after Christmas.

I’ve been reading through the book of Luke, and one of Jesus’ remarks caught my eye. As He is riding through Jerusalem shortly before His death, He expresses sorrow for the crowd.

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”
Luke 19:41-42

Though He’s speaking to the Israelites in this passage, I believe this lament is applicable to us today. That gap in our hearts is a longing for peace, the peace that only Jesus can bring.

And the thing is, we can know Jesus and love Jesus and fully understand the true meaning of Christmas, yet still lack peace. It’s not until we accept that peace can only come from Jesus that we begin to experience inner healing.

Peace is an unexplainable thing. By definition, peace is “harmony, tranquility, and freedom from oppressive thoughts or emotions” (Merriam Webster Dictionary).

We are lacking peace because we are being oppressed by our destructive thought patterns, the trauma of living through the pandemic and all the unique trials of the past two years (or longer), and the utter state of brokenness in our world.

How can we have peace amidst all of this? How can we hold onto the true miracle of Christmas once the presents are unwrapped and the tree is taken down?

We can immerse ourselves in God’s word. We can ask God for healing. We can close our eyes and take a moment to simply breathe.

Allow peace to become a regular part of your life. Cherish the moments of stillness and accept that being still doesn’t mean you are weak, but rather that you care about yourself and others enough to appreciate the gift of quiet.

I hope and pray that you are able to feel God’s presence this Christmas. He has overcome the world and promises us a better future. We have nothing to fear.

Merry Christmas! ❤

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
Thessalonians 5:23-24

Making Room for Jesus

What can we never have too much of?

A friend of mine recently gifted me a beautiful Christmas book that contains ornaments with names of Jesus to hang on the tree each day of Advent. This gift was certainly thoughtful and well-appreciated.

The thing is, though, my tree is literally leaning by the weight of decades of passed-down ornaments. My parents had boxes of childhood and young adult belongings stolen years ago, but what was left behind? All those ornaments!

Tonight, as I placed one of the final ornaments on the tree, a snowflake with the words “Light of the World” on it, I joked, “I don’t think this tree has room for another Jesus ornament!”

Hmm…

So often in our lives we shut Jesus out because we don’t think we have room for Him. Our jobs, our relationships, and our well-being have to come first. And while I’m certainly an advocate for taking care of those aspects of our lives, I believe that when we center our lives around Jesus, everything else falls into place.

We can definitely have too much of most things in life, whether it’s old furniture or cheap knick-knats or our favorite snack. We can even have too much of our loved ones, requiring us to take some space away from them to appreciate them again.

But we can never have too much Light. In fact, love, peace, and hope aren’t in abundant supply these days either. Does anyone complain about an overflow of joy or contentment? Nope.

The only way we can truly have these things is through Jesus. He is the embodiment of anything lasting and worthwhile.

Now, I won’t pretend like dedicating our lives, or even simply our Christmas season, to Jesus is easy. It takes intentionality and grace, mostly grace for ourselves when we find ourselves slipping away.

And it doesn’t mean we will always feel wonderful or close to God. It means that we are willing to stick through the tough times and make sacrifices.

But it will all be worth it.

This Christmas, make room for Jesus in your life. He desperately wants to be there for you. All you have to do is invite Him in.

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17

I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
John 12:46

What’s Worth Celebrating?

Are you having trouble finding reasons to celebrate this Christmas?

Christmastime: The season of joyful singing, generous giving, and reflections of gratitude over the past year. We celebrate Jesus coming to save us and how our world has been fantastic ever since He left…right?

Well, we may not exactly feel that way this year. COVID has forced us to look past ourselves and the coverups of the mistreatment and pain many, if not all of us, experience over the course of our lives. We can’t hide behind bright lights, festive parties, and overspending.

And while vulnerability and honesty are valuable and important things we long for, we can’t help but have a bitter taste in our mouths as we struggle to find what’s worth celebrating these days.

So, what are we really celebrating when our world doesn’t feel like it’s been saved?

The one thing that can’t be changed: God’s love.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. You’re already tired of hearing the word “love”. Love is overused and over-simplified through Hallmark movies, seasonal proposals, and the occasional hopeless romantic in your life who is making a desperate search for a companion for the holidays. But the truth is, when we take the time to realize what love really is, we are able to have something worth celebrating.

Love, in the grandest form, is sacrificial. And Jesus surely made the ultimate sacrifice for us. When He came down as a poor, homeless baby, He knew what lie ahead of Him. Temptation, betrayal, mockery, and ultimate death on a cross. He knew He had to literally step into every single possible situation we might experience so that He can empathize with us. And though this mission was risky and unpleasant, He was willing to do whatever it took to show us how much He loves us.

But yet, though Jesus came to offer hope, justice, and compassion, our world seems to be lacking every quality of Jesus. In fact, life feels like it’s getting worse most of the time.

So how come it doesn’t feel like Jesus’ sacrifice paid off?

Well, the simple answer would be that Jesus isn’t done restoring our world. It will reach a breaking point and Jesus will return to redeem us once and for all.

But what are we to do in the meantime? Why couldn’t Jesus get the job done the first time?

I’m sure Jesus could, but He knew that allowing us to live in a broken world would cause us to value His love even more. When we experience hardships, especially at the hands of others, we are able to better appreciate being in a relationship with someone (Jesus) who loves us no matter what and always works for our good.

Christmas isn’t about celebrating an idealistic world that hasn’t come yet, though we can certainly anticipate a day with no more pain. Christmas isn’t about celebrating what we wish the world could be and feeling resentful that we haven’t achieved these goals yet.

Christmas is about living in our present, often difficult, circumstances and celebrating that even though we are flawed human beings, the God of the universe was (and is) willing to sacrifice everything just to be in a relationship with us. We are celebrating that His love for us reaches no end and we have the capability to extend that love to others, particularly around the holidays.

This Christmas, you can have a smile on your face and unexplainable joy in your heart as you remember how much Jesus loves you and is alongside you through your journey.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Romans 11:29

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 1:4-5

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him…
John 1:9-10

If you have an children in your life and are searching for a heartwarming, yet straightforward version of the Christmas story, here is a book I co-authored that shares the true meaning of Christmas!

To check out this book: https://www.blurb.com/b/10989294

Happy Birthday… By Hannah Chung

Book Preview

Don’t Let the Enemy Steal Your Joy

Are you having trouble fully experiencing joy this Christmas? This might encourage you and help you regain your joy.

Christmas time can bring a lot of different feelings for everyone. For some, it might bring excitement, anticipation, and hope. For others, it may bring up past feelings of grief, loneliness, and confusion. I bet that this year is harder than most as even people who normally have a lot to celebrate mourn all that was lost over the past year. I am sending prayers of comfort for all of you grieving someone or something this holiday season.

However, I’m also here to bring encouragement and help you not lose anymore joy this season.

I’ve talked about joy a lot on here, and that’s because it’s an important part of our daily lives. To redefine joy, it’s not just a state of happiness that lasts for only a short time. Rather, joy is a permanent part of us that we can have as believers in Jesus because we have faith in a good God despite hard circumstances. Joy is having hope in the future no matter what happened today. Joy is knowing that we can still be content despite what the world tells us.

On many Christmas cards I handed out this year and received, the words peace, hope, and joy were on them. Those words are often associated with Christmas because we think about how joyful that first Christmas must have been, right? We imagine the little nativity that we learned about in Sunday school where all the people came to the inn with their animals, bearing gifts for the newborn King.

But the truth is, there was a lot that first Christmas that was hard. They had a corrupt government, civil unrest, injustice, and many people struggled with illness, poverty, and uncertainty about the future. Sound familiar?

Basically, if we really think about it, Jesus made quite the sacrifice coming that first Christmas. He entered a world full of sin, a world that can never be made perfect without Him. And to top it all off, Jesus came down knowing how He would be humiliated and killed, rejected and despised, poor and without shelter many a time.

Yet, through Jesus’ love for US, He made that sacrifice to come down for us. Christmas is a celebration of love, Christ’s love, and the ultimate sacrifice He would later make for us.

You may have thought that they had more to celebrate that first Christmas than we do now, what with COVID, civil unrest, and all the other issues plaguing our world today. But as you can see, they really did have many opportunities to lose sight of their joy. Yet the ones who worshiped Jesus, who saw what a great sacrifice He was going to make for us, were the ones who really got a lot out of Christmas. When they turned to Jesus, their hope was restored. Their lives were made new. Their hearts opened to the reality that the most powerful being in the universe came down to save them.

And that’s the way to experience true joy this Christmas, to not let the burdens and hardships our present circumstances bring allow us to miss out on fully experiencing Jesus’ love for us.

I’m going to close with a recent event that happened in my life.

I was driving to the barn where I work and ride horses. As I was driving, I couldn’t help but feel this overwhelming sense of joy and appreciation for Jesus. I started praising Him for everything He has done for me and I knew that the enemy would try to steal my joy. But I told Jesus as I got out of the car that I wasn’t going to let the enemy win.

About an hour later, I was laying on the ground of the arena, my riding partner asking me if I was okay.

The horse I had been riding, who has never spooked on me before, randomly spooked at an unknown thing and I flew off onto the ground.

Standing up too quickly and needing to take a breather, I replied that I was fine, just a bit dusty, sore, and wondering what on earth was going on.

Thankfully, I’m okay. I am still sore and stiff, but after walking around and reconnecting with the horse, I got back on and cooled her down before telling her owner about it. I know that there could’ve been something that startled her, but I can’t shake the feeling that it was also a spiritual occurrance. I know that the enemy was trying to steal my joy yesterday.

But I didn’t let him.

Instead, I am going to use this experience as a reminder of how God took care of me since it could’ve been worse, of how far I’ve come as a rider to be able to just get right back on and explain the situation to others, and to be grateful that I am on the road to recovery.

This Christmas, no matter what you are going through, don’t let the enemy steal what’s rightfully yours. Jesus’ love is for you. It’s for all of us to celebrate and experience. And the joy that comes from that is yours too.

Merry Christmas! I’ll be praying that this holiday season brings you hope, love, and ultimately joy.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.
Psalm 34:9

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Romans 11:29