Weaving Gospel Threads

As we progress further into December and into the Christmas season, one of the things that is most evident as we look at houses, churches, and businesses in our community around this time of the year is that we embrace the holiday seasons most evidently by decorating for them. 

We put together the Christmas tree as soon as we can. We take special time to hang the garland, wreaths, and lights around the inside and outside of our homes. Our coffee and hot chocolate are now adorned with the colors of our Christmas mugs. The radio stations begin to change as the holiday season ensues and the playlists on our phones begin to adjust accordingly. We put up our “Jesus is the reason for the season” and nativity scenes to commemorate our Savior’s birth. We embrace the Christmas season and weave it into nearly every aspect of our lives. Our lives are seasoned with the Christmas spirit!

We know how to weave the Christmas spirit into our homes and lives as we enter the Christmas season. Yet, my mind ponders, what is the best way to keep the “Christ” in Christmas? I believe the answer is incredibly simple. We take our excitement, anticipation, and efforts to decorate and weave the Christmas spirit as we have done with our homes, businesses, and community and continue it with our conversations!

What if we decorated our words with the Christmas spirit by weaving Gospel threads into our conversations? If Jesus is the reason for the season, then shouldn’t our speech be seasoned with Christ?

“Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.” (Colossians 4:5–6)

There are a few ways that we can do this.

Ask people in your life if they know the Christmas story and why is it important?

Take advantage of the opportunity to open your Bible and to give Bibles to people in your life when talking about the Christmas story.

Think about what the people in your life are going through. How does the Christmas story provide hope to the hopeless? How does the Christmas story give healing to the hurting? How does the Christmas story give beauty out of brokenness? Reach out to people and meet them where they are!

This season is one of unity and generosity. Take opportunities to be generous and sacrificial and then tell people why! You don’t do this simply because of the Christmas season, but because of Christ.

~ Pastor John