Celebrate Faith

Over the past couple of weeks you may have heard me rant and rave about it being too early for Christmas. I mean come on! Decorations in the shops in October??? People dressing up their gardens and houses in early November?? Christmas carols on the radio already? As much as I love Christmas I was thinking it was all coming that bit too early this year.

Then I stopped muttering and started thinking. Hmmmm....why not start celebrating early? In fact, why not have that Christmas joy and anticipation all year??

And as a Christian, shouldn't that really be my default demeanour and MO every month of the year....not just in December?

I have read 1 and 2 Peter lately and have once again been reminded of how much I have to celebrate, thanks to God's great love and grace. 1 Peter 1 reminds us that our faith is 'of greater worth than gold.' (v 7) Considering how much gold (and plastic) will be burned this Christmas season it is astounding to think about our faith being worth more than that. It is priceless....invaluable. It is an extravagant gift from God, bought at an unimaginable price.....the gift of Jesus (God with us) to live here on earth, die for our salvation and be resurrected, showing us that death and sin have been defeated....and guaranteeing us LIFE! Now that is something to celebrate!

Two more little thoughts from that same chapter.....
'Salvation of your souls' is the goal of our faith (v 9). Again...celebrate-worthy! Without faith we cannot please God and we cannot be saved. And salvation can only be ours because Jesus came....lived....died...rose again. So as we head into this year's festive season, let's get excited about more than gift giving and receiving, time with family and holidays. Let's ask God to help us connect our faith with this celebration of His goodness to us in a deeper way. And let the joy and peace of this season refresh our faith.

Finally, v 21 reminds us that faith and hope are inseparable. HOPE...I so love that word and what it means. It is a "confident expectation." Hope is a firm assurance that God is who He says He is and will do all He has promised to do. And His promises are for our blessing......eternal life, the presence of His Spirit, a faithful friend in Jesus, love, provision, protection, salvation and so many more precious gifts (to be enjoyed year round!) As we get ever-closer to December 25th, let's live with both a growing, deepening faith and an unshakeable, exciting hope that we have been given the greatest gift of all- time...Jesus!


So today, November 29th might not be the traditional Christmas Day. But as I play my carols CD and dust off the tree and decorations and continue to on-line shop for Christmas presents, I am determined to consider this special season and the first Christmas in a new way and let it refresh my faith, build my hope and fuel my thanks to God.