As we approach and pass this Christmas season, I am sure it would have been good for some, and difficult for others. This is just how the individual aspects of our lives are constructed, where each of us go through differing seasons.

Speaking about seasons, I personally prefer to celebrate Easter instead, as this is where our salvation was obtained via the blood of the lamb (Jesus). However, Christmas has its place, as it can be used as a medium to showcase Jesus and by extension the salvation He brings.   

But how can you display and showcase what you don’t have? How can a painter showcase a painting in a gallery if he does not own the piece? If he doesn’t have a relationship or connection with the piece, he will be doing either of two things, misrepresenting himself, or misrepresenting the piece.

We can also look at it this way, “how can you showcase what you don’t understand”? Can a mathematician tutor his students if he doesn’t fully understand the subject? Conversely, the better they understand the literature and their audience, the better they can disseminate the knowledge and articulate it’s meaning to others.   

I have stated the above to hit home the following point, if we don’t have a relationship with the Lord and know him intimately, we will do a poor job of representing and showcasing Him, regardless of the season (Christmas/Easter, High/Low season, etc).

Therefore, how do we get to know Jesus and foster this relationship with Him? In other words, “where do we find Jesus?” Well for starters, we can find Him by applying His word in Romans 10:9-10 which states.

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart there is believing unto righteousness, and with the mouth there is confession unto salvation.”

Now even before we believed and confessed, we must ask ourselves this question. Why are we looking for Jesus? Why do we look for anyone in general? Well, we look for someone to either give them something, or get something from them. It is all well and good to come to Jesus to get salvation, blessings, and all the other great benefits, but what do you come to Jesus to give? Please pause and ponder about this before reading on.

So, where does a believer go after accepting God in Romans 10:9? The believer can start to come before God with outstretched arms, which of course is their new privilege in the Lord. However, I would like to submit to you today, that an improved way of thinking is to be a giver first. Be a giver, before thinking about being a getter. As Acts 20:35 tells us, “… ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

A life with Jesus has provided us with the greatest gift, but for it to work in our favor it must be reciprocal, and a gift must be given back. After obtaining salvation, Christian living is not only about finding Jesus to get anything, but it is about finding Jesus to give everything!

My good friend, I cannot underscore this enough, we also find Jesus and get close to Him via our giving. In Matthew 25:31-46 you will find the parable of the sheep and the goats. In this parable, Jesus makes a distinction between who will inherit His heavenly kingdom, and who will be cursed into eternal damnation. In the passage of scripture, Jesus indicates that He came to us in the form of a poor person, someone who was hungry/thirsty, a stranger in need, someone who was sick, and in the form of someone who did wrong and was imprisoned.  

During this time of judgement, you know what the astonishing responses of the righteous were? They were, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invited you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?

Yes, that was their response, “Lord when did I see you…”. So much of us, who call ourselves righteous, will fall into this same trap of not seeing Jesus via the needs of the people around us. By not seeing clearly, we are missing an opportunity to not only glorify God, but also putting our souls at risk. Currently, many of us, who are not helping those in need, are in prime position to hear verse 41 & 46, where it states, “depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire for punishment”.

Maybe a better question to ask ourselves is, “Lord, why is it I am not seeing you in the needs of others?”. The solution to this might be many, but I believe one of the answers can be found in the following scripture:

1 John 3:17 – “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”

In this Christmas season, and every season, Jesus is all around us in plane sight. It is not simply about eating and being merry and sharing what we have with our friends and family only. But it is about using the opportunity to really impact lives and truly show forth the nature of Christ within us, so that people can truly find Him. The thing is, in the same instance we individually find Jesus to give, others find Jesus to get! Because when I give to the Lord in the form of the poor, the poor get from God, in the form of me.

I know that this blog might have been a bit strong, but I wrote it as God wanted me to, so that all of us will be reminded, that this is the Christian way… !

PS: Dane Miller was last seen thinking he must improve his relationship with the Lord, so that he can be a better son in all aspects.

Your Brother in the Lord,

Dane Miller – “God is the Author, I am the Pen”

Authored Book – What is the Woman Saying – Lessons from Biblical Women.

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