Rising up a risen Savior

As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord this Easter season, I am drawn, time and time again, to those three words. I realize that I have held onto this knowledge as something that happened far off….in another land, in another time. While I rejoice in the living Jesus, who continues to sanctify me and astounds me with His Love, the act of His resurrection was somehow detached from my everyday view.

I am only just beginning to realize a different perspective regarding the importance of recognizing that special day in my everyday life. Moreover, God is showing me the importance of actually performing that act, myself; that is, lifting up Christ high above all else.

I’ve found that so many of us say we hold Christ higher than anything else in our lives. But when I ask myself if Christ is more important to me than my children; my comfort; my pride; my desires, I must repent. All too often, I realize that my own desires are elevated at an unhealthy level and THEY are what become risen in my life.

I was praying recently about a situation in which I wanted Jesus to intervene. I asked for all the “right things” – a changed heart; a godly perspective; kind actions; but my motives were not pure They were merely to exalt myself by making a difficult situation easier for me to handle. When His Holy Spirit revealed this to me, I knew that I had erred and needed to exalt Christ! I had to perform the act of rising Him up in this situation and not myself.

I am still dealing with and working through this situation I mentioned. God didn’t take it away, or change it to make it more comfortable for me. But I am now able to see that my eyes were focused on how it could be easier for me if only Christ were there, instead of focusing on lifting Him up and seeing that He already was. By His grace over me, I am able to view evidence of His mercy, His grace, and the gifts He bestows upon His children. His Holy Spirit has allowed me to see that I had raised my own comfort above Christ. And, although the circumstances haven’t changed, Christ is now being glorified. All because He led me back to ponder those three words, “HE HAS RISEN”.

My Christmas Wish

So here it is, Christmas time again. As much as we try to keep our focus on Christ and his birth during this time of year, it seems we still manage to get caught up in the commercialism of the season. Christmas trees attract our attention; shopping for gifts becomes a pastime; and many of us look forward to a couple of extra days off from work to spend with our families. I, too, enjoy these same things myself. I look forward to pulling out my Christmas socks to wear and driving in my neighborhood to admire the houses all decorated with splendid light displays. Nonetheless, I was challenged today when the question was posed, “has Christ been forgotten and selfishness crept in?” Our first reaction to such a question would likely be that we, as Christians, haven’t forgotten Christ! Of course not! However, listening to our Pastor this morning preach about Immanuel, and the meaning of the name, challenged me even further, and brings about my Christmas wish for you.

Isaiah 7:14 foretells the birth of Christ, and that “…His name shall be called Immanuel”. Isaiah 9:6 says, “His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace”. Now, we know that Christ wasn’t actually named any of those names, but was named Jesus. But He is known by those names, as well. When we consider the name Immanuel and its meaning, God is with us, we come to a point that we really have to ask ourselves if we have forgotten Him. The question posed today was, “If God was right next to you, how would you behave?”

My Christmas wish for you is one that carries through the entire year. My wish, and my prayer, is that we all remember that Christ is with us – every day. His spirit indwells within us; he is standing right next to us when we avoid that person we don’t want to make eye contact with. He is right next to us and hears us scream at our children. He is watching our response when we are asked to give. Have we forgotten this when we chose not to share His good word with our neighbor, or when we curse at the drive who cut us off? My wish for all of us is that we conduct ourselves in such a way that if Jesus were standing next to us, he would smile and pleased; every day of the year.

Merry Christmas to you and to your families. Rejoice with gladness from the abundance in your hearts.