Putting up the lights
Hanging up the lights on the Christmas tree is a time-honored tradition of the season. I don’t know about y’all, but it is something that I look forwards to year after year. There is something about the lights on the tree that ushers in the warm feeling of Christmas. Yet as the season comes to an end, can God continue to bring that light into our lives?
John 1: 4-5 is a wonderful reminder that Jesus was, is, and will continue to be the light in our light .
“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ”
Christmas is a time of joy, reflection, and grief. While these emotions can come through many holidays and moments, it is when we as a community come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus that a light is shown on the burdens we carry. As we walk from this Christmas season into the new year, it can be hard to keep sight on the true reason for the season - the birth of Jesus.
I know - I know
It is so much easier to say “Jesus is the reason for the season” than let his light continue to shine in our lives. Do not let the sparkles and hope of the new year drown out the shine and gift of the birth of Jesus. Use this week of transition to center yourself on how you can bring the light of Christ into your new year.
John reminds us that Jesus will continue to be the light in our lives. While his testimony is used to identify Jesus as the Son of God, Johns testimony can continue to live on through us as disciples of Christ.
The darkness isn’t eliminated by the presence of Jesus’s light, but it never fully surrounds the light Through spreading the light of Christ in your life, you too can fight back against the darkness. Setting goals, planning parties, and looking towards the new year only become more powerful when you put up the light of Christ in your life.